Keeping Secrets
by LunaeShark
Summary: '07 Movieverse. School's out, but a quiet summer is not what's in store for Sam, Mikaela and their transforming friends. A neighbor's cousin is staying with the Witwickys, and soon it becomes clear that she has a dangerous, possibly deadly, secret... R
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Transformers fanfic.**

**Warning, hard-core fans, I've only seen the movie (and love it!) Please forgive any mistakes I make.**

**Constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**_Edit: Corrected the spelling on Mikaela's name!_  
**

* * *

_Requesting transmission link for report._

_Request granted. Transmit report._

_Today at 0800, a police car bearing two men and one passenger - a young female human - stopped outside the house across the road from the Witwickys' residence. The man formerly known as Agent Simmons, dressed as a police officer, escorted the girl to the house. After a short conversation - the attached recording - Simmons returned to the car alone, then drove away._

_Your report has been recorded._

_Orders?_

_Should Simmons return, contact me._

_And the girl?_

_Keep an eye on her, but do not blow your cover._

_Understood._

* * *

Chapter One

"Son, I have a problem." Mr. Witwicky was sitting on the couch, his eyes on the television, but fully aware of Sam standing nearby. "You know our neighbor, old Mr. Canbury? He needs a favour, but I told him that it would have to be a family decision."

"A favour? Like what?" Something big, Sam decided. You didn't say it had to be a family decision if it was fixing a car or mowing the grass. Anyway, Mr. Canbury went to a mechanic once a month, and his grass was mowed by a group of neighborhood teens looking to make some money by charging steep rates for a two hours' worth of work.

"It's not complicated. Mr. Canbury has a cousin who is coming to visit, but..."

"Get to the point, Dad."

"He doesn't think she'd like living in his house, since it's a giant mansion, and he's the only other person living there. So Mr. Canbury was wondering if she could stay with us, just for a bit. Only until he can find a foster home for her."

"His cousin? She must be about fifty, right?"

"No, Sam, she's a third cousin, or something like that," replied his mother, stepping into the living room. "She's only thirteen. I think it'd be a wonderful experience for you! Just as if you had a younger sister!"

"Then why doesn't she stay with a closer relative, maybe a second cousin?" asked Sam, scowling. It was summer! He didn't need some kid hanging around. Knowing his mother, he'd end up baby-sitting the entire vacation.

"Well, she doesn't have any other relatives." Mrs. Witwicky glanced out the window at a yellow Camaro and black Pontiac parked near the garage, then lowered her voice. "There was something to do with the Government, or so Mr. Canbury said. Her parents were doing something top secret and they died. The Government's been looking for relatives for about three years now."

"Three... _years?_" Sam was surprised. More than surprised. How hard was it to track down a family member if the _government_ was doing it?

"It's all rather strange, but the girl _does_need a place to stay, and we're the best option at the moment," pointed out Sam's mother. "Mr. Canbury doesn't get out much, you know, and we're one of the few families he knows, and since we're so close his cousin can visit without having to walk further than across the street..."

"How long?" asked Sam, wondering if an argument would have any effect. "Rough estimate."

"Mr. Canbury said perhaps a few months, at most," replied Mr. Witwicky. "He's already looking for a family who will take her in until she's eighteen."

"That's all summer! What about when school starts?"

"Mr. Canbury assured me that school would not be a problem. His cousin is very bright and can learn at home. He's willing to pay food and board, and if she's still here when school begins, he'll buy her whatever books and things she needs."

Sam groaned. He could see where this was going. "She's coming, isn't she?"

"We think it'd be for the best. No need to make her feel unwelcome in a new town," replied his mother. "Agreed?"

"She won't go near the cars?"

"Of course not," laughed his father. "Girls her age don't like cars."

"Then it's settled!" exclaimed Mrs. Witwicky. "I'll call Mr. Canbury right away. Sam, can you open the windows in the guest room? And sweep the yard's walkway? And take out the trash?"

Sam's face grew longer with each word. "When's she getting here, exactly?"

"Why, she's at Mr. Canbury's right now! She arrived an hour ago, just after he talked to your father." Mrs. Witwicky hurried off to find the phone. "Hurry, Sam, she'll be here soon!"

Sam went upstairs to the guestroom to open the windows, then took the trash out and swept the flagstones of the walkway. Then he called Mikaela.

"Hey, Sam. What's up?"

"Mr. Canbury's cousin's coming to stay. Something to do with the Government. Other than that, not much." Sam winced as Mojo started barking madly. The vacuum was whirring, and the dog didn't like that machine at all.

"What's his cousin like?"

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" asked Sam, covering one ear.

"What's his cousin like?" Mikaela yelled.

"She's thirteen and I haven't met her yet. She'll be here in a few minutes."

"Sounds interesting. I'll be there in five. See you." There was a click as she hung up.

"Mikaela's coming over," announced Sam, running down the stairs.

Mrs. Witwicky turned off the vacuum cleaner. "What did you say?"

"Mikaela's coming over. She wants to meet Mr. Canbury's cousin."

"They're here!" called Mr. Witwicky, just as the door bell rang.

Mojo began barking at the door.

"Oh, dear, I haven't even finished vacuuming yet!"

"I'm sure the place is fine. Coming!" Sam's father opened the door, Sam and Mrs. Witwicky right behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd like to thank my reviewers for, well, their reviews.  
It's sweet of you to take the time to review my story.  
And many thanks if you're reading this, reviewer or not!**

**So, Chapter Two is here. Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_Requ-_

_Granted. Transmit._

_It is 0900. The girl will be staying with the Witwickys, according to recorded phone conversation._

_I think it is time we had a meeting. With Simmons involved anything may happen._

_Sector 7 was terminated._

_Simmons is still an unstable element. I shall contact an ally, see what he knows. Shall we meet late tonight?_

_If the others can make it, yes._

_They will make it._

* * *

Chapter Two

Mr. Canbury was about sixty years old, with silver grey hair. He was wearing his normal clothing, an old suit, minus the tie. He had been a lawyer once, and age had not taken the intelligent glint from his eyes.

"Good morning, Ron, Judy, Sam," he said. "Sorry about this, but I didn't know anyone else who would be willing to take Katrina in, even for just a couple months. It's very kind of you."

"No problem at all," said Mrs. Witwicky, smiling. "It's a pleasure to have her staying here, of course. Come in, Katrina." She eyed the small duffel the girl carried. "Is this all you have?"

The girl nodded and stepped in, looking around. She was the same height as Mrs. Witwicky - not very tall - with a ramrod straight back. Her face was white, so pale the veins showed through as a dusky blue, and her eyes were a strange dark purple. She wore long pants and a light, zippered jacket, despite the fact that it was 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

"You're so pale!" exclaimed Mrs. Witwicky.

"She's not sick," Mr. Canbury interrupted. "If you were about to ask that. Katrina hasn't been in the sun for a long time, because her skin burns very easily."

"Oh." Sam's mother was taken aback, but she recovered herself quickly. "Would you like to see your room, Katrina? It's not very inviting, I haven't made the bed yet, or changed the curtains, but you can put your clothes away at least. Have you eaten?"

Katrina nodded again, and looked at the floor, her left hand's knuckles white as she clenched the duffel's strap. "I would like to rest, please," she murmured. "The flight was eight hours long and I didn't get any sleep."

"You flew here?" asked Sam, curious. "How? From where?"

"Government base," mumbled the girl, not looking toward Sam. She fidgeted with the strap. "Private jet."

"I think I'll leave you to get acquainted," said Mr. Canbury. "If you need anything, Katrina, I'm right across the street."

"Yes, sir."

"Take this." He handed her a small leather wallet, then nodded to Mr. Witwicky. "Thank you again, Ron, Judy, for taking her in."

"Sam, why don't you show Katrina to her room?" asked Mrs. Witwicky.

"Yes, Mom." Sam beckoned Katrina over to the stairs, and led the way to the guest room. "It's in here."

He pushed open the door, and almost ran into Mikaela.

"Wha... How..."

"I flew," replied Mikaela with a laugh. "Hi," she said to Katrina. "Are you Mr. Canbury's cousin?"

"Yes. I'm Katrina." The girl edged backwards a bit. "Why are you wearing a helmet?"

Mikaela removed her helmet. "I rode my motorcycle over."

"How'd you get in here?" Sam went over to the window and looked down. There was no way to climb the wall. "Did you fly?"

The teen shook her head. "You should lock your back door, you know. A perfect entrance for robbers."

"Dad always locks it at night."

"That's good." Mikaela turned her attention to Katrina. "Welcome to town, Katrina. How long are you staying here?"

"I don't know. I'm staying with the Witwickys for a few months, until Mr. Canbury finds a foster home willing to take me in. I could be here only a few weeks, or forever, if the family lives in this town." Katrina kept her eyes on the floor and walked over to the bed, set her duffel on mattress and sat down beside it, her ankles crossed, hands folded together, back straight. The girl's gaze stayed trained on the carpet. "If you would excuse me, I would like to rest now," she said.

"Um, sure," said Sam. "The sheets are in the closet with the blue door, and the blankets, too. Though it's too hot for blankets..."

Mikaela grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. "Bye, Katrina! See you later. Get some rest, okay?"

The girl nodded, and continued to stare at the floor.

Mikaela closed the door and muttered. "She's strange."

"No stranger than the cars, right?" Sam grinned. "Want to go for a spin?"

"Sure. Bike or car?"

"You choose. I'll ask Mom." Sam hurried down the stairs, pausing just outside the living room door. His parents were still talking to Mr. Canbury and hadn't noticed him coming downstairs.

"That's terrible! The poor girl, no wonder she's so pale!" Mrs. Witwicky had both hands over her mouth. "Do you really think the Government would do such a thing? Experimenting with a child, so young?"

Sam froze, and decided to eavesdrop for a bit before announcing his presence. He gestured frantically to Mikaela, signaling for silence. She nodded in reply.

"I have proof enough in Katrina. The poor child was completely in shock when she arrived, and she told me everything. They swore her to secrecy, though, so you must say nothing, to anyone, understand?" Mr. Canbury shook his head. "I hope that a bit of time with a normal family will help. She's a bit traumatized right now." Scowling, he struck his leg with a fist. "If I weren't retired I'd sue those scoundrels, and be my own lawyer, too! I tell you, if this ever made the news, I doubt the Government would exist for much longer, at least in its present state."

Mrs. Witwicky shook her head sorrowfully. "Oh, the poor, poor dear! Imagine being an experiment, treated just like an animal. Her own parents, too?"

"They were the head scientists working on the project," replied Mr. Canbury. "It's hard to believe any sane people would do that to their own child..."

***

Sighing, Katrina moved the duffel off the mattress. She looked around the room, then nudged the duffel with her foot. Unpacking felt like too much effort, but her mind was too busy to allow her to sleep.

The plane ride had been a long one, but that wasn't the only reason she'd said she was tired. Katrina was tired of questions, and she didn't want to be interrogated by Mikaela and Sam while the adults were talking.

"I might as well make the bed," she said aloud, and forced herself to stand again.

The sheets were easy to find, and there were some white curtains on the shelf above. It wasn't long before the room looked a little more lived in. The curtains fluttered in a slight breeze coming through the open window, and the bed was made perfectly - top sheet pulled drum tight, all the wrinkles smoothed away, and a blanket resting on the end, folded neatly.

She heard the front door open and close, and hurried to the window. Mr. Canbury was leaving, and she watched as he crossed the street and entered his own house. The only family she had now. He seemed okay, though he was very fond of lectures on the law, and he had been angry when she had told him about what her parents had done.

Wincing at the memories, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Better not to think about that. She was in a new place, she could start over. No one would ever know the entire story. Not even Mr. Canbury did, even if he thought so.

_I told him all he needed to know. He hates injustice, and he will do his best to find a good home for me_, she promised herself. _He doesn't need to know about Project AllPower. Or my role in it._

Katrina crossed the floor and sat on the bed, resting her arms on her legs. _No one should know._

The door was nudged open and a small black nose pushed its way into to the room, followed by a light brown muzzle and a tiny body.

_Not a dog!_ Katrina pulled her legs onto the bed, scooting away from the edge.

The dog began to bark at her.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Been a while since I've updated, apologies! Have had a LOT of issues lately.**

**Disclaimer - (apologies for this being a sort of spoiler) TheFiringSquad and I both came up with the same OC idea on our own. There's been no plagiarism! To quote TFS, "great minds just think alike."**

* * *

_"Prime. Good to speak to you again."_

_"I trust this is a secure line?"_

_"Yes. What do you wa-"_

_"Is Simmons still an agent?"_

_"Simmons... No. We fired him the day S7 was disbanded."_

_"Has he left Washington, D.C.?"_

_"As far as I know, yes. Why the sudden interest?"_

_"He was recently spotted in the Witwickys' neighborhood."_

_"Doing what?"_

_"We're not sure. Could you find out what he's doing?"_

_"Is it a national emergency? Simmons is a citizen now, I can't waltz into his living room and interrogate him for being some place."_

_"Not an emergency at the moment. Just curiosity."_

_"_Curiosity_? For someone who doesn't even officially exist, you waste a lot of my time."_

_"My apologies, Secretary. I thought you would be interested to know Simmons left a girl at a neighbor's house."_

_"What Simmons does is none of the Government's concern. It's certainly none of my concern unless he threatens the nation's security. If you find proof Simmons is doing something wrong, I'll try to stop him, but one sighting means nothing. Did it _look_ like he was doing anything illegal?"_

_"He was dressed as a police officer and arrived in a state cruiser. I checked the state and Federal records and he is not a policeman. Is impersonation illegal enough for you?"_

_"It's not a job for the Secretary of Defense, but... I'm curious. I also know the right person for the job. This is under the table, though, understand? No promises."_

_"Do your best, Secretary, and thank you."_

* * *

Chapter Three

Sam had heard enough. He left the adults still talking, crept up the stairs, then ran down them again, making sure his footsteps were loud and clear. Mikaela followed at a slower - and quieter - pace.

The conversation had stopped by the time they reached the front door.

"Hi," he said. "Katrina's taking a nap, so can I go out for a ride?"

"Of course," replied his mother. "Oh, hello, Mikaela! Did you come in the back door?"

"Mhm. Hello, Mr. Canbury. Your cousin's nice. Come on, Sam." She hurried him out the door. "Let's take the car, so we can talk. What's going on, Sam?"

He told her about the conversation he'd just overheard.

"Oh my god." Mikaela got into the passenger's seat and closed the door as Sam sat in the driver's seat. "I _knew_ something like this would happen."

"What?" Sam grabbed the steering wheel - the car had pulled out of the driveway without warning.

"After you saved the entire universe by destroying the AllSpark, did you really think life would just go back to normal?"

"Uh, yes. No. I guess."

"Of course not! That's not the way it works." Mikaela smiled. "Right, Bumblebee?"

"I think it deserves some investigation," replied the radio.

"My thoughts exactly."

Sam shook his head. "Where would we even start? Katrina was sworn to secrecy, and I doubt Mom wants me to interrogate a traumatized kid."

"It's not interrogating if we do it. It's inquiring. And she told Mr. Canbury, so I bet she'll talk to her new big brother."

"Who?"

"You."

"I'm not her brother! She's not even staying here for long."

"How long?" asked Bumblebee.

"Only a few months, he said. I hope." Sam drummed his fingers in his leg and looked out the window. "Mr. Canbury said it was until he finds a foster home for her.

"The Government shouldn't be allowed to do experiments with humans," said Mikaela. "There should be a law against it."

"There _is_ a law against such experimentation, but the Government must have bypassed it," said Bumblebee. "Since there are several loopholes they could have used, it would not have been impossible, or even difficult."

"I wonder what kind of an experiment they were doing." Mikaela looked thoughtful. "I think we better go back inside. Sorry, 'Bee."

"No problem." The car spun around.

"Why?" asked Sam, frowning.

"You're going to be friends with Katrina, and I don't want you to miss anything else that might happen."

"Like what?"

"We have aliens living undercover in America," replied Mikaela, shaking her head. "Use your imagination. _Anything_ could happen. Question her, too, when you get a chance," she added as Bumblebee pulled onto the curb. "But don't intimidate her. Be friendly."

"Inform me if you discover anything important," said Bumblebee. "Optimus will be interested."

"Right. Information. Friendly. See you, Mikaela."

"See you," she replied as she got out.

A moment later she was roaring away in her motorcycle and Sam was walking into the house.

"That was fast," said his mother. She was carrying a pile of sheets and blankets. "Take these upstairs to Katrina, and tell her that lunch will be at twelve."

"Okay." He took the pile and headed upstairs.

Katrina's door was opened and Mojo's yapping was coming from inside.

"Mojo," called Sam. "Where are you?" He stepped inside, and frowned at the scene. Mojo was cowering by the dresser, barking at Katrina, who was huddled in her bed, her knees tucked up to her chest. Her face seemed even paler, if that was possible.

"Hey, boy, what's wrong?" asked Sam. "Mojo, _out_."

The dog whined, then ran out of the room.

"Sorry about that," Sam apologized, turning to Katrina. "Here's some sheets and blankets and Mom said to tell you that lunch'll be at twelve..." He blinked and looked around the room again. The curtains had been changed from somber brown to white, and the bed had been made already. "I guess you don't need the sheets," he remarked.

"No," said Katrina. "I don't." She paused, her face, which had regained some color, draining again. "Please keep Mojo away from me... Dogs and I don't get along," she added, after a slight pause.

"Any reason why they don't?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

She looked at the floor, and shrugged. "I'll be down for lunch."

"Okay..." Sam hesitated, then left the room and went to put the sheets in the supply closet.

"She'll be down for lunch," he told his mother, who was in the kitchen cooking. "Can I go for a swim?"

"_May_you go for a swim?" Mrs. Witwicky glanced at the clock. "I guess so... But be back by eleven thirty!"

"Yes, Mom." Sam was already halfway up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Katrina was standing in the hallway outside her door.

"Down to the Y for a swim." He sighed. "Do you want to come?"

"Not if you don't want me to." Her face was still paler than normal. Sam made a mental note to tell his mother to keep Mojo away from the kid.

"No problem. Have a suit?"

"Yes."

"A towel?"

"No."

"Meet me at the front door in five minutes." Sam grabbed his swimsuit and pounded down the stairs again. "Can-" he started. His mother frowned, and he tried again. "_May_ Katrina come with me?"

"Of course!" Mrs. Witwicky's face brightened. "Does she have a suit and towel?"

"Yes, no. May we take Dad's car?"

"What's wrong with taking your car?" asked Mrs. Witwicky. "Just tell it to be quiet."

"It's a him, not an it, and you can't _tell_ it to be quiet," muttered Sam. He hurried into the downstairs bathroom.

"I'll get some towels," his mother called after him. She went to the closet next to the bathroom and found Sam's beach towel, then chose one of her own for Katrina, a pale pink with golden edging.

"I'm ready," said Katrina, walking down the stairs. She wore a large shirt over her bathing suit. It reached down to her knees, light green with the words "Save The Trees!" written across the chest in a darker green.

"Here's a towel for you," said Mrs. Witwicky, handing her the pink one. "And here's Sam's." She closed the closet and started for the kitchen. "Make sure he starts home by quarter after eleven, or you'll both be late."

"Yes, Mrs. Witwicky," replied Katrina, then the girl walked to the front door to wait. She peered out the window, looking at the immaculately kept yard. The yellow car she'd noticed parked on the side of the house was now out front, sitting on the curb. "Mrs. Witwicky," she asked, going into the kitchen.

"Yes?" The woman looked up from stirring a bowl of batter.

"Who owns the yellow car?"

"The yellow... car?" Mrs. Witwicky suddenly looked flustered. "Oh, that's Sam's, Katrina. "Be careful not to get the seats wet coming back, he's very protective of his car. Actually, I should probably give you some extra towels, just in case..." She set down the bowl and went to get more towels.

Katrina looked in the bowl and sniffed. It was some sort of chocolate mix. There was a box of Devil's Food Cake mix on the counter. "Yum," she said. "A recipe straight from H-" She stopped, hearing Mrs. Witwicky's footsteps returning.

"Here you are," said Mrs. Witwicky, piling several towels on top of the two the girl already carried. "Oh, and Katrina?"

"Yes?" asked the girl, who had started for the door. "Thank you for the towels."

"What? Oh, you're welcome, but that wasn't what I was going to say." The woman smiled. "Call me Judy, please. Mrs. Witwicky I generally reserve for people I don't know or don't like."

"Ac-okay." Katrina nodded, then continued toward the door. One more thing to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally found time to get a new chapter up...**

**Thanks, all my reviewers! There are days when you really make my day!!!**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

"Hello, Madsen's residence."

_"I'm looking for Maggie Madsen."_

_"Who is this?"_

_"Secretary of Defense."_

_"Haha, very funny. I'll see if she's around. MAGGIE! MAGGIE?... Sorry, she's not here. You might want to try her friend Glen's place. Do you want the number?"_

_"No, no, I'll get it."_

_"No doubt your FBI agents have it in their list of unlisted phone numbers."_

_"Have a good day."_

_"You, too. Keep an eye out for giant alien robots!"_

* * *

Chapter Four

Sam was waiting impatiently, hand clutching the doorknob. "I was about to leave without you," he joked, opening the door.

Katrina shot him a glare and threw him his towel. "Don't joke like that."

"Why?" he asked, confused. His voice was slightly muffled - the towel had landed on his head. "I wasn't actually going to..."

"Just _don't_." Katrina marched down the flagstone path with Sam following. He wondered what he had said wrong. From the way the kid was acting, everything.

"What do you want me to do with the extra towels?" she asked.

Sam opened the passenger door. "Doesn't matter. Sit on them, put them on the floor. We'll cover the seats when we go back."

"Acknowledged," said Katrina, getting in, the towels dumped on the floor by her feet.

"What?"

"Sorry. _Okay_." She fidgeted, not looking him in the eye. "When I was with the Government, 'acknowledged' was the word they used, not 'okay'."

"Were you with the Government a long time?" asked Sam, trying to sound casually curious.

"Mm." Katrina looked down at her feet. She was wearing sneakers without any socks.

"Mom could have lent you a pair of sandals," remarked Sam as he started down the road.

"Her feet are two sizes larger than mine," replied Katrina, shaking her head and fiddling with the edge of her shirt. "Or maybe three."

"How'd you know?"

"I've had plenty of experience with shoe sizes."

"Huh?"

"With _them_ it was 'look at the floor, don't make eye contact, don't speak unless you are spoken to...'" She shrugged, holding back a sigh. "I could tell you the shoe size of some of the top officials in the Government."

"Must've been a pretty tough life."

"_You don't know anything_." Katrina's glare was so harsh Sam winced, and he fell silent. The girl looked out the window at the houses passing by.

There was a long pause of embarrassing silence, then the radio turned on.

"Can you turn that off?" asked Katrina, grimacing. "I don't like the radio."

The radio immediately fell silent.

"What's going on?" asked Katrina, turning from the window. She frowned at Sam.

"What'd I do now?" Geez, this kid was touchy. "I turned off the radio!"

"No, it turned itself off, unless you have some special button on the steering wheel. I can see your reflection in the window; you didn't move at all."

"Got me," he said, forcing a laugh. "There's a secret button, right here, under my thumb. I can turn it on again, if you want."

"No." Katrina's brow furrowed. "I believe you." She turned back to the window and was quiet the rest of the trip.

"Here we are," said Sam at last, pulling into the parking lot. "Let's go." He locked the car, then led the way into the YMCA building.

"Hey, Sam," said the bored man standing behind the desk. "The usual pool is empty. Are you baby-sitting? Who's this?"

"No, I'm not. This is Katrina. She's visiting."

"Nice to meet you, Katrina." He waved them on. "Well, don't let me keep you, onward ho and all that."

"Come on," said Sam. "We have about three quarters of an hour to swim."

"Judy said to leave by eleven fifteen," said Katrina. "Is it ten thirty?"

"Yes," said Sam, glancing at his watch again, in case he'd misread it. "Let's _go_."

There was a swimmer in the pool when they reached it, but only one.

"How good a swimmer are you?" Sam asked, not looking at the girl. He was trying to see who the other swimmer was.

Katrina shrugged. "Good enough."

"Right. Don't drown, okay?" Sam jumped in, splashing water everywhere. The other swimmer was Mikaela. She waved and swam over to the side of the pool.

"Hello, Katrina," she said. "Do you like to swim?"

"Sometimes," replied Katrina. "Not if the water is freezing. Or too warm." She sat on the edge and dangled her feet in the water. Her green shirt had turned almost black after being soaked by Sam's careless entry. "I haven't gone for a few months."

"That's not bad. Come on in, the water's nice." Mikaela turned and swam away, powerstrokes swiftly taking her to the other side of the pool.

Katrina sighed, and rested her chin in her hands, her elbows on her legs. She wasn't sure she wanted to swim, but finally she pulled off the shirt and dove in.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to do that!" called Sam from the other end of the room. "No diving!"

"Sorry." She flushed, and ducked under again, opening her eyes. The chlorine stung for a bit, then stopped. Smiling, she swam underwater from one end of the pool to the other, then came up for air before going down again. Swimming was one of the few things she liked to do, and swimming underwater was her favorite part.

"Where'd you learn to swim like that?" asked Mikaela, watching the younger girl's antics. "I've seen Olympic swimmers who aren't as good."

"Swimming was how I exercised," replied Katrina, treading water. "I wasn't allowed to leave the base, and I didn't like the exercise room. The instructor there wasn't very kind. She always told me I was doing it wrong." She blinked and went under again, reappearing on the far side of the pool.

"A Government base, right?" asked Mikaela. "Was it exciting, living there?"

"_No_." Katrina went under and didn't reappear.

Half a minute passed, and Sam swam over to Mikaela. "Where's Katrina? She hasn't come up yet." He had missed the conversation while practicing his own underwater swimming.

"She went down about thirty, no, forty seconds ago."

Sam muttered something. "Not good. We better find her. I hope she isn't drowning or something. Mom'll kill me if anything happens... Where'd she go down?"

"Over there, across the pool." Mikaela swam over and looked around. "I don't see her, though."

"This is bad, bad, bad. Mom's going to freak if she drowns." Sam looked around, then got out of the pool and walked around on the wall. "Keep looking!"

"One minute and counting," murmured Mikaela, glancing at the clock. "She can't stay down there much longer."

Katrina was on the other side of the pool, at the deepest end, sitting on the bottom. Her eyes were closed and she was concentrating, not thinking about breathing. She imagined looking at the sun, watched the yellow globe until at last her lungs began to hurt, then the girl pushed up from the floor and burst through the surface.

"Katrina!" cried two voices, and Mikaela came swimming over, her face relieved. Sam ran along the wall.

"What were you _doing?_" he demanded. "We thought you were drowning."

"I was meditating," replied Katrina, hauling herself out of the water. She pulled on her shirt, then wrapped the pink towel around herself and stood. "About the difference between..." She stopped, and looked at the two, who were looking at her with open mouths.

"What happened to your arms?" asked Mikaela.

Katrina grimaced, looking at the small brown spots that covered her arms. They hardly showed at all unless her skin was covered with goosebumps, which they currently were, since the pool wasn't heated.

"Nothing," she said, looking at the floor. "I think I'll wait outside. I'm done swimming for today."

"It's time to head back, anyway. See you, Mikaela."

"See you." Mikaela waved as the two left. She waited until they were gone, then got out of the pool. "Time to do some research," she said to herself. "I think I'll see what I can find out about spots like that. They weren't freckles the way she was acting. So what _are_ they?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Life's been rough lately, but I'll try to get another chapter up next week.**

**Thanks for reading/reviewing Keeping Secrets!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Who's calling?"_

_"I'm looking for Glen Whitmann."_

_"This ain't the police, is it?"_

_"No, ma'am, I'm the... I'm a... Actually, I'm looking for a friend of his, Maggie Madsen."_

_"I'll see if Glen's here. He'll know where she is. GLEN! GLEN! PHONE!"_

_"Who's this?"_

_"Glen, it's-"_

_"GRAMMA, GET OFF THE PHONE!... Okay, who is this?"_

_"It's the Secretary of Defense."_

_"What do you want?"_

_"I need to speak to Maggie."_

_"She's not here."_

_"Do you know where I could find her?"_

_"No. Does this have anything to do with last fall?"_

_"It's imperative that I speak to Maggie."_

_"Try her cell phone."_

_"It's disconnected. She didn't pay the phone bill last month. Can you get ahold of her for me?"_

_"What number do you want her to call?"_

_"I'll give it to you."_

_"Hang on, let me find a pen..."_

* * *

Chapter Five

"What were you doing?" asked Sam as they walked across the parking lot to the yellow Camaro. "Meditating isn't an answer. You were underwater for over a minute."

"Some people can stay underwater for over two minutes," replied Katrina, shrugging. Her hair hung in her face in wet tendrils, but she didn't move to push it aside. "I've practiced."

"Fine." Sam opened the car door. "Pass me a towel. I'm still soaked."

Katrina tossed a towel onto the driver's seat, then spread two more over the passenger's seat before sitting down.

"Thanks."

The drive home was silent. Katrina fell asleep, her head resting on her arm, which was pressed against the base of the door window. Water dripped off her wet hair onto the door, but Sam decided not to say anything. Mikaela must have said something wrong at the pool. The girl was frowning even while she slept, and every now and then she'd twitch and mutter something intelligible.

Sam pulled into the normal place where he parked, then nudged Katrina's shoulder. The girl hissed like a cat, then sleepily opened one eye.

"Sorry, Simmons, are we there yet?" she yawned, then rubbed her eyes and focused on Sam. "Oh. It's you. Are we at your house?"

"Oh, um, yeah." Sam opened his door, trying not to show his surprise. _Simmons?_ What did _he_ have to do with Katrina? "You'll have to take a shower before lunch. Do you want to use the upstairs bathroom or the downstairs?"

"Doesn't matter." Katrina yawned again, then opened the door. "Oh, sorry. I got water on the door." She picked up the seat towels and used the corner of one to soak up the water, then closed the door and started for the house.

Mrs. Witwicky smiled when she came in. "Did you have a nice swim, Katrina?"

"It was all right." Katrina went upstairs, dripping water as she went. Her wet sneakers chafed her feet and she wanted to get them off as soon as possible.

"Sam, what happened?" asked his mother, frowning as he entered the house.

"Nothing. I don't know." The teen shrugged. "Mikaela was there. I think she said something that upset Katrina." He glanced up the stairs. Katrina's door closed, then opened, then the bathroom door closed and the shower turned on. "Have you noticed her arms?"

Mrs. Witwicky thought for a moment. "Who's? Katrina's? Yes. She's rather freckled, don't you think? Strange that she doesn't have any on her face."

"I guess." Sam started up the stairs. _Those are _not_ freckles_. He was sure of it.

"Hurry up, lunch is in ten minutes," his mother called after him.

"Yeah, okay!"

Five minutes later, Katrina came out of the bathroom, her hair still damp from the shower. She went into her room, then went downstairs, now wearing a pristine white t-shirt with red shorts, the shorts contrasting with her white legs. Blue veins showed wherever they neared the surface of her skin.

"Katrina, why didn't you dry your hair?" asked Mrs. Witwicky. "There's a hair dryer plugged in up there."

"It makes your hair brittle if you use a hair dryer too much," replied Katrina, picking at the edge of her shirt and keeping her gaze on the floor. "I don't use them at all."

"I see," said Mrs. Witwicky, making a mental note to mention it to some friends who had trouble with brittle hair. Perhaps their hair dryers were the problem. "Would you mind helping set to the table?"

"No."

"There are plates in the cupboard there and silverware in the drawer beneath it. Glasses are right above the plates and napkins are in the drawer to the right of the silverware. Only set three places, Ron is fishing today with a friend. He apologizes for not being here on your first day, but he keeps his promises and he promised to go fishing."

"That's fine," replied Katrina. "I don't mind."

A beeping noise started.

"Oh, there's the timer! That's the cake, so lunch is ready. Sam!" yelled Mrs. Witwicky as she turned off the timer and pulled out the cake. "Time for lunch!"

"Coming!" came the faint reply.

Katrina got the plates and napkins, set them out, then found the silverware. "Do you need forks, knives and spoons?"

"Forks and spoons, and you'll want a sharp knife if you like your sandwich cut into triangles," replied Mrs. Witwicky, flicking the oven switch to OFF, then reaching for the fridge door's handle. "Pass me a chopping knife, I have some cheese to slice."

The girl silently handed her the utensil, then finished setting the table. "Should I fill the glasses?"

"No, I'll get some drinks out and we can all choose what we want," replied the woman. She finished chopping the cheese and arranged it with some crackers on a plate, then started setting out the food. "Do you want tomato or cream of broccoli soup?"

"Cream of broccoli, please," replied Katrina, licking her lips after making sure the woman wasn't looking her way. She'd never had it but the name sounded good. "May I help serve?"

"No, you're the guest! Sit down, we can get started. Sam!"

"Coming!" Sam raced down the stairs, his hair disheveled, a comb clutched in one hand. "What's for lunch?"

"Tomato soup, sandwiches, and cake. There's some crackers and cheese if you are still hungry afterward."

"Sounds good." He took a seat and started fixing his hair.

Mrs. Witwicky served the soup, then pulled out a loaf of fresh bread, already sliced, and set it down with a platter of sliced cheese and meat from the deli.

"It's delicious," said Katrina, tasting the soup. She fashioned herself a provolone and cheddar sandwich, then alternated between taking a bite of that and a spoonful of soup.

Mrs. Witwicky ate her cream of broccoli soup before making a ham sandwich. Sam devoured three sandwiches and two bowls of soup.

"Cake time," announced Mrs. Witwicky when they had finished. "Who wants ice-cream with it?"

"I do," said Sam.

"Yes, please," said Katrina, then she began gathering their empty bowls and carried them to the sink.

"Oh, Katrina, the dishes can be all cleared away after lunch," said Mrs. Witwicky. "Don't worry about them."

"Ac-okay." Katrina sat down again. _Okay, okay!_ she told herself. _You're not with _them_ anymore, and you need to fit in_ here_. Okay, not acknowledged. OKAY._

"Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?" asked Mrs. Witwicky, opening a tub of Neapolitan.

"Strawberry," replied Katrina.

"Chocolate," said Sam. "I'll cut the cake."

"It's already cut," replied his mother, frowning at him. "In serving-size pieces."

"I'll serve, then."

"No, you sit." Mrs. Witwicky put a slice of cake on each plate, with several scoops of ice-cream on top. "Eat up, then you can wash the dishes, Sam."

"Yeah, fine."

"I will help," Katrina offered.

"If you want to," replied Mrs. Witwicky. "Can I trust you two not to destroy the house? A friend called and wants me to come over and visit for a bit."

"Sure," said Sam. Visit? Gossip was a more correct term.

"Do you have a library?" asked Katrina. "I would like to get some books."

"Yes, we have one, but it's too long a walk." Sam's mother smiled. "Sam why don't you two bike down to the library? She can use my bike."

"Okay." _Oh, great_.

"Great." Mrs. Witwicky stood and started to put the food away. "Then I'll go over to Margaret's and you two can do the dishes and go to the library. Are you still missing your card, Sam?"

"No, I found it." _Don't ask me where I found it..._

"If the library won't let Katrina get a card, put her books on your card, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Sam finished his dessert and started carrying dishes to the sink.

"Don't destroy the house," warned Mrs. Witwicky, starting for the door, keys in hand. "Or the library. Promise?"

"Yes."

"I promise," said Katrina. She ate the last bite of cake and got up from her seat. "Have fun."

"Thank you, Katrina. I'm sure I will." Mrs. Witwicky left.

"I'm not sure you're going to like her bike." Sam warned as they washed the dishes.

"Why not?"

"You'll see."


	6. Chapter 6

**What do you get when you're given an internet restriction, then the only computer with internet at home dies?  
Annoyed. Very annoyed. _And_ very neglectful...**

**But here is Chapter Six at last, and more to come soon, I promise!**

_

* * *

_

_"Hello?"_

_"Secretary of Defense?"_

_"Who is this?"_

_"It's me. Maggie."_

_"Maggie Madsen?"_

_"Yes, sir. Glen said you wanted to speak to me about something?"_

_"I need some information found, but I need an experienced hacker who _isn't_ working for the government. Understand what I'm saying?"_

_"So... You want some information, but it requires a hacker to retrieve it and you can't have the FBI do it? Why not?"_

_"Because it may _involve_ the Government, and not in a good way. Remember Simmons?"_

_"The Sector Seven guy?"_

_"He was caught impersonating a policeman in the Witwicky's neighborhood."_

_"Witwicky... Is that the kid with the robot car?"_

_"Yes. I need to know what Simmons was doing there."_

_"Why don't you have one of your transforming guys check it out?"_

_"Because their leader thinks everyone is entitled to privacy."_

_"Even if they're evil?"_

_"Simmons isn't evil. Misguided, yes. Can you do it?"_

_"I can't. Glen could, if he had a place to start from."_

_"See what he can find out, without a place to start from."_

_"...He's going to want payment."_

_"Tell him to call me, and we'll talk about payment."_

_"How soon do you want the information?"_

_"Yesterday, if possible."_

* * *

Chapter Six

After the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Katrina and Sam went outside. Eying the pink helmet she was carrying with distaste, the girl asked, "Does your mother like pink?"

"If you think that's bad, wait until you see the bike."

Katrina looked at the bike, with its bright pink body and sparkling pink streamers dangling from the handle bars.

"Eep," she moaned. "I have to ride this?"

"Uh-huh."

"It is _not_ my style." Katrina sighed. "Do you have a spray can?"

"Painting her bike's the same as destroying the house," replied Sam, trying not to laugh. "Not a good idea." Although it _would_ be more agreeable to riding the bike. Sam hadn't forgotten his own embarrassing excursion half a year ago.

"Great." The girl wrinkled her nose as she clipped on her helmet. "I need to get a bike."

"I've ridden it before," Sam admitted before he could stop himself. "It's not that bad."

"So you say." Katrina shook her head. "Pink. Ugh." She wheeled it out and swung a leg over the seat. "I'm thinking maybe green, or black with red flames."

"Follow me." Sam led the way down the street. Fortunately the road was empty of vehicles.

Katrina followed, eyes on the pavement as she biked. One time she thought she heard a car engine, one that sounded familiar, and glanced over her shoulder, but saw nothing.

The library wasn't far, and she was glad to leave the bike at the bike rack and go inside. It wasn't a large place, but it was quiet.

The librarian, a stern-looking female with glasses looked up from the book she was reading. "Samuel Witwicky, have you found that card of yours yet?"

"Uh, yeah, I did."

"Good. Who is your friend?" The woman clipped her syllables, making the words colder than they would have been otherwise.

"This is Katrina..." Sam realized that he didn't know what Katrina's last name was.

"I'm Katrina Kulman," said the girl, approaching the desk. "May I please have a library card?"

"Just fill this out." The librarian handed her a pen and a piece of paper.

Katrina took the pen with her left hand and started to write.

"Is it cold out?" asked the librarian, a slight frown on her face.

"Pardon?" The girl glanced up, then back to the paper and continued filling it in.

"I assume that it must be cold out if you are wearing a jacket."

"Oh, yes, it is," Katrina lied. She handed the pen and paper back. "Finished."

"Thank you." The librarian looked over the paper. "What is your address and phone number?"

"She's staying at my house for a few months," said Sam. He gave her his address and the home phone number.

"Very good. I will have it ready in a few minutes. Young adult books are over there," she continued, pointing at a group of shelves. "Feel free to browse."

"Thank you." Katrina headed for the bookshelves, soon vanishing down a narrow aisle.

"Excuse me?" asked Sam. "Can I use one of the internet computers?"

"What is it with young people these days?" asked the librarian. "Don't you have internet at home anymore? Yes, you _may_."

Sam passed the adult section as he headed for the computers. Katrina was there, looking at books.

"Pst!" hissed someone. It was Mikaela again. "Sam, come look at this." She led him over to a computer and pointed at the screen. "I found out what those marks are. They're needle scars."

Sam looked at the website page. There was a picture of someone's arm covered with marks just like Katrina's, but the caption was hard to understand.

"It took me a bit to figure that out," Mikaela explained, pointing at the dictionary sitting next to the computer. "But basically it said that some needles, when used, leave these scars behind."

"Needles?" Sam looked at the picture again, then closed the site, hearing footsteps coming their way. "What kind?"

Mikaela shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"I found some books," said Katrina, approaching them. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Hi, Katrina," Mikaela greeted the girl.

"Hello, Mikaela." Katrina's eyes were turned toward the floor, and she went over to the librarian's desk.

The woman checked out the girl's books. "Good to see someone reading for pleasure."

"I like to read," replied Katrina, smiling. "Doesn't everyone?"

"You'd be surprised," replied the woman with a laugh. "Though it _is_ summer, and I admit even my most avid readers don't come in much when it's sunny out. Have a good day, now, Katrina."

The girl nodded and turned her gaze to the floor. "You, too," she mumbled, and hurried for the door.

The librarian looked at Sam, raising an eyebrow. "Something wrong with her?"

He shrugged. "Her parents died. She's a bit traumatized right now." It was partly the truth.

"Poor girl," murmured the woman. "You keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't become depressed. That happens very easily to children like her. Is she... sick? She's so pale..."

"Um, she burns very easily. Doesn't like the sun. Bye."

The librarian watched Sam race out of the library and shook her head, then turned to Mikaela. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to get these books out..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Yep_._ Finally got around to getting another chapter up.  
I am so lame...**

**Enjoy!**

**EDIT: Fixed the inconsistency.... (can't believe I missed the mistake of them arriving on bikes and leaving in the car)**

_

* * *

_

"Prime. What is it?"

_"I need you to visit us tonight. Can you make it?"_

_"Is it important? Captain Lennox was planning on taking his wife and kid out to dinner."_

_"We've sighted ex-Agent Simmons."_

_"What's wrong with that?"_

_"He was impersonating a police officer and in the Witwickys' neighborhood."_

_"And that's more important than..."_

_"Ironhide!"_

_"I'll be there."_

* * *

Chapter Seven

Katrina was sitting near the bikes, reading, when Sam caught up.

"Sorry about that," he said, clipping on his helmet. "Librarians are nosy."

"They aren't the only ones," replied Katrina, not looking up from the book. She tugged at her sleeves. "I don't like comments on my arms, okay? Ever seen The Lion King?"

"Once. A long time ago." The teen thought back, but couldn't remember much. He wondered what a children's movie had to do with her arms.

"I saw it on the television. Timone said, 'you have to put the past behind you.' That's what I'm trying to do." Katrina turned the page. "Your friend needs to learn that. Nosy people are like dogs to me. We don't mix."

"Okay. I'll tell Mikaela when I see her."

Katrina nodded, but said nothing. When they got back to the Witwicky's house, she headed upstairs, her nose back in the book.

There was a message on the answering machine from Miles, so Sam called him back.

"So, can you help with the car wash?" asked Miles. There was a sound of splashing in the background.

"No, sorry, Miles. We have a guest staying at the house. She's going to be here for a few months."

"A few _months?_ Who is she?"

"Mr. Canbury's third cousin." Sam glanced at the stairs, frowning. Had he just imagined the thud he'd heard? "Listen, I better go. Don't want the house destroyed or anything. Kids are destructive, you know."

Mojo began barking and there was another thud.

"But..." started Miles.

"Sorry, Miles, I _have to go_." Sam hung up the phone and raced upstairs, worried about what he was going to find.

Mojo was barking at Katrina's door, which was closed. Thuds were coming from behind it.

"Katrina?" Sam knocked on the door. "What's going on in there?" He hesitated, then tried the door handle. It was locked. "Katrina? Open up!" There was no answer, so Sam ran his fingers over the top of the doorframe until he found the key. He inserted it in the lock and turned it, then knocked again. "Katrina?"

_Thud._

Shaking his head, Sam cautiously pushed the door open and looked in.

The girl was nowhere in sight, but there was a small silver object on the floor. It looked like a cell phone.

"Katrina?" Sam jumped back when the silver object suddenly became a spider the size of his hand.

"Don't let it escape!" cried Katrina, appearing from behind the door. "I've been trying to stop it, but nothing seems to work."

"Do you have any idea what that_ is?_" asked Sam, closing the door quickly. He eyed the spider uneasily. "Where'd it come from?"

"It was in my duffel. Someone must have planted it there." Katrina was pale, her knuckles white as she gripped a baseball bat.

"Where'd you get the bat?"

"The closet." Katrina stepped closer to the spider and swung.

_Thud._

The spider scuttled away, unharmed.

"I don't think a bat's going to kill it," said Sam.

"_Kill_ it? I'm trying to smash it!"

"Same thing." Sam reached back, feeling for the doorknob. "I'll call Mikaela, she'll know what to do. I hope. She's good when it comes to machines... Ahhhh!" The spider had jumped at him.

Katrina batted it away, knocking the creature into the wall. One of its legs penetrated and it hung, struggling to get free.

"Keep it like that, I'll be right back!" Sam hurried out of the room and closed the door, then ran for his room.

"You have _what?_" Mikaela sounded panicked. "There's no way one of those things could have survived."

"One? I think it's _the_ one. Remember how the Allspark turned the kid's cell into a spider? This one looks like the same creature. Minus the guns, since he wasn't shooting. I don't think it died when they zapped it."

"Do you have a blowtorch?"

"My dad might."

"Try that on the spider thing. I'll be there in three minutes with some other weapons."

"Blowtorch. Got it." Sam raced downstairs and met his mother coming through the door.

"Oh, hi, Sam," she said. "Where's Katrina?"

"Um, she's in her room..." Sam glanced upstairs. "Do you have a blowtorch we could borrow? We have a one creature insect infestation."

"You mean like..." His mother's eyes widened. Sam had told his parents all about finding the Cube and its powers, including the cell phone spider. "Yes, there's a torch in the basement. Be careful..."

Sam pounded down the basement stairs, searched frantically, finally finding the torch on a shelf hidden behind boxes of nails, then ran up two flights of stairs and opened Katrina's door, slamming it behind him.

"Where's the spider?" he asked, looking around.

"Right here." Katrina was standing on the bed, leaning her weight on the bat, which was holding down the spider. "Hurry! I can't hold it down."

Sam crouched down next to the spider and fiddled with the knobs on the blowtorch, trying to figure out how the thing worked. The creature struggled harder, then subsided and started tapping two legs together in a random pattern.

taptap. TAPtap TAPTAPTAP. taptaptaptap tapTAP tapTAPtap TAPTAP.

"What's it doing?" asked Sam as a white flame finally burst from the torch's nozzle.

Katrina frowned. "The sound... It's familar. Wait!" she said as Sam moved the torch toward the spider. "Turn it off. The spider is using Morse code!"

"That's great," muttered Sam - who in their right mind cared about whether a freaky little spider could use Morse code when it was trying to kill you - but he turned off the torch. "Can you decipher Morse code?"

"If it's not too fast."

The spider, which had stopped and tucked its legs close to its body, began tapping again, more frantically.

taptap. TAPtap TAPTAPTAP. taptaptaptap tapTAP tapTAPtap TAPTAP. taptap taptapTAPtap. TAPtapTAPTAP TAPTAPTAP taptapTAP. TAPtap TAPTAPTAP. taptaptaptap tapTAP tapTAPtap TAPTAP.

Katrina frowned. "I. N-O. H-A-R-M. I-F. Y-O-U. N-O. H-A-R-M," she spelled. "I no harm if you no harm. I think..."

"Don't move..." Sam started, but the girl had already lifted the bat off the spider. Sam jumped back, away from the creature. "I hope you have a plan," he said. "Because getting my throat torn out by a little cell phone monster-"

A knock on the door interrupted him, and the spider became a cell phone again.

"Katrina? Sam?" It was Mikaela.

Sam went to open the door.

"Did the torch work?" asked Mikaela.

"Sort of..." Sam eyed the device Mikaela was carrying. "What is that?"

"A buzz saw. It worked before, on the big one."

"I don't think it's needed anymore."

"You melted it?"

"No. It talks. Using the Morse code."

Mikaela looked uneasy, but she stepped into the room and closed the door. "Where is the spider now?"

Katrina pointed at the cell phone, then hopped off the bed and leaned the bat against the wall. "It talks using the Morse code. It won't harm us if we don't harm it."

"And who figured that out?" Mikaela asked, fidgeting with the buzz saw.

"I know the Morse code by heart," replied Katrina, shrugging. "It isn't hard to decipher if it's not coded." She picked up the cell phone before either could stop her.

"Put that down," said Sam frantically. "Katrina, put it down!"

"Why?" Katrina watched it become a spider. "I think it likes me."

The spider tapped its legs. taptap. TAPtaptap TAPTAPTAP. Then it climbed up her arm and stopped on her shoulder, its head turning left and right.

"What did it say?" Mikaela asked, her hand tightening on her saw's handle.

"I do," replied Katrina. She grinned.

"Haha. Very funny." Sam frowned. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Why do anything?" Katrina tapped the spider's head with one finger and it became a cell phone again. "I like it."

"You can't keep it! Mom would freak if she saw it."

"He'll stay hidden, right, Morse?" Katrina set the cell phone on the dresser.

BEEPbeepBEEPBEEP beep beepbeepbeep.

Mikaela jumped when it started beeping. "A spider that taps its legs, a phone that beeps without anyone touching it. I'm not sure which is more crazy."

Katrina's smile faded, but neither noticed.

"The spider," answered Sam. "Phones beep when you page them."

"Not like that." Mikaela looked at the buzz saw, then at her watch. "Oh, I'm late for dinner! See you later..." She hurried out of the room.

"I'll walk you to the door," said Sam, racing after her.

Katrina slumped onto her bed, then fell back, limp with relief. "Phew."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hm. Not much to say, I guess. I apologize for not updating for such a long time.**

**Hopefully the summer will erase my writer's block. If so, there will be more chapters soon.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

"This is the Secretary of Defense. Please leave a message after the beep. BEEP!"_

_"Hey, Uncle John, it's Glen. I'll try again late-"_

_Click._

_"Glen? This is John Keller. Do you have the information I requested?"_

_"Yep, but I want something in return."_

_"What?"_

_"Two quid."_

_"I could always have you arrested for multiple cases of Federal offense."_

_"Okay, okay! Geez, can't you take a joke? How about a trip in Air Force One?"_

_Click. "Glen, just give him the information!"_

_"Maggie, get off the phone!"_

_"Fine, _I'll_ give him the information..."_

_"Okay, okay, I'm talking, I'm talking!"_

_"Thank you, Maggie."_

_"No problem, Mr. Secretary." Click._

_"Glen?"_

_"It took a little work, but this is what I found..."_

* * *

Chapter Eight

After lying on the bed for a few minutes, Katrina sat up again. She glanced at the cell phone, then stood and went to close her door. "I should be more careful."

BEEPbeepBEEPBEEP beep beepbeepbeep. _Yes._

The girl sighed and sat on the bed. "I can't help it, though..." She flopped onto her stomach and buried her face in her hands. "I hate this," she sobbed, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

There was a thud, then a scuttling noise. The spider walked over to the bed and climbed onto it, leaving a symmetrical pattern of holes in the blanket.

"Sorry," Katrina told it, blinking away the tears. "I shouldn't have done that. It's not fair." Feeling ashamed, she tapped its head and it collapsed into the cell phone. The girl picked it up and flipped it open. The word SIMMONS was at the top of the screen. A small smile crept across her face. "It would serve him right if I gave you back," she chuckled, imagining the man's horrified look. The smile faded. "But you wouldn't like that." She closed the cell phone and tucked it into her pants pocket. "Time to unpack."

The phone vibrated, and Katrina tapped her pocket with a finger. "Don't do that. Want to be uncreated?"

The vibrating stopped.

There was a knock on the door.

"Katrina?" It was Sam's mom. "Dinner in thirty minutes."

"Okay, Mrs. Witwicky. I'll be there."

"Mojo is outside now, so he won't be bothering you. And it's Judy, remember?"

Katrina scowled, mentally berating herself for forgetting the newest change in her life - adults who actually allowed her to call them by their _first_ name. "Sorry. Thank you, Judy."

"Is there anything you need?"

"No."

There was a pause. "All right. Half an hour."

"Half an hour," Katrina repeated under her breath, and pushed herself into a sitting position. "Guess I should get ready."

She remade the bed, put her clothes into the dresser drawers, set the duffel next to the dresser, ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her clothing. The cell phone was set on the dresser top, and it morphed back into a spider.

"How do I look?"

The spider waved two of its legs in the air, then turned and looked at its reflection in the mirror. Startled by the exact replica of itself behind the glass, it jumped back.

Katrina laughed, then looked at her own reflection and sighed before removing the jacket. "I guess I can't wear this in the house."

The spider started tapping again.

"W-H-Y N-O-T. Why not?" The girl smiled. "Because you don't wear jackets in a house unless you are cold. And it's 80 degrees outside, last I checked. 70 in here."

More tapping.

"C-A-N I C-O-M-E T-O D-I-N-N-E-R..." Katrina took a moment to figure out the message. "No. You are my secret."

W-H-A-T A-B-O-U-T O-T-H-E-R-S.

"They won't tell anyone," replied the girl with more surety than she felt.

D-O N-O-T T-R-U-S-T, the spider tapped, then collapsed.

"I don't trust anyone." Katrina shrugged, pocketing the phone. "You be quiet in there, understand?"

No answer, just a soft vibration.

The girl grinned. "You're learning." She looked around the room again, checking for anything out of place. Satisfied, the girl headed out, closing the door behind her. Dinner in five minutes, according to the watch on her wrist.

"Set the table, will you?" Mrs. Witwicky was opening the oven. A heavenly smell of cheese, tomatoes and well done bread drifted into the room.

"Silverware?" asked Katrina, getting the plates.

"For pizza?" The woman gave her an odd look. The military could be strict, she knew, but did they actually make people eat pizza with silverware? Before she could ponder the question for long, Sam came pounding down the stairs. "Sam, walk!"

"Sorry," he muttered, not sounding sorry at all as he raced into the kitchen. "What's for dinner? Takeout pizza?"

"Homemade," his mother replied, frowning at him. "I didn't even use premade dough."

Sam glanced at the huge pile of dishes in and around the sink, the flour on the floor, and the general mess on the counters. His mother had actually cooked something from scratch? "Uh..."

"You and Katrina can clean up after we eat," continued Mrs. Witwicky, removing the pizza from the oven. She set it on the stovetop and closed the oven door before removing the oven mitts on her hands.

Her son started to protest. "Aw-"

"Then we're going to the movies," she added. "If that's all right with Katrina, of course. Would you rather stay home? I thought we might do something special, it being your first night here."

Katrina shook her head, eyes wide. They were going to take her to see a movie? A strange feeling blossomed inside her. Was it... Could it be... Happiness? No one had ever done so many nice things for her before. "I don't mind," she said quietly, forgetting about Mikaela's questioning, Morse and everything else bad that had happened to her that day. So much had changed for the good. She stood there lost in her thoughts, still holding the plates in her hands.

"I think that means we're good to go," Sam interpreted. "Can I drive?"

"You'll have to ask your father..." The front door slammed, and Sam dashed out of the kitchen.

"Dad, can I drive?"

Mr. Witwicky's reply was too quiet to hear, but judging by Sam's shout of "Yes!" it had been positive.

The shout jolted Katrina into reality, and she hurried to set the table. Mrs. Witwicky sliced the pizza with an expert hand.

"It's serve yourself," she told her husband and son as they entered the kitchen. "Sam, get the salad and dressings out of the fridge."

The teen yanked open the fridge door, tossed the salad onto the table and sent the dressing bottles flying after it. After slamming the door he grabbed a plate and dove for the pizza.

"Sam!" his parents admonished.

"Guests first," Mrs. Witwicky added.

Sam tossed a large slice of pepperoni on his plate and sat down.

The woman shook her head. "Nevermind."

A few minutes later, the kitchen was silent except for the sound of chewing.

"The pizza and salad are very good," Katrina offered, partway through the meal.

"Thank you, Katrina," Mrs. Witwicky beamed. "It's my first attempt at homemade pizza. What do you think, Ron?"

Her husband was on his third slice. "Great, Judy."

"What's for dessert?" asked Sam, polishing off the last slice.

"If there's any ice-cream left, you can have that... But, Sam, you'll want popcorn at the movies."

Sam was already scooping himself a bowl of chocolate. "Want some, anyone?"

Katrina raised her hand. "I'll have a little strawberry, please."

Ron blinked. "You're not at school."

The girl gave him an odd look. "What?"

"You don't need to raise your hand."

"I think she has impeccable manners, Ron," Mrs. Witwicky interrupted. "Katrina, you don't need to be so formal, though."

"Okay." Katrina looked down at her hands folded in her lap. _I can do this_, she promised herself. _It's not hard. Just..._ She glanced quickly up - the adults were talking now, and Sam was busy scooping ice-cream. _It's so different from the military. They were so strict..._

There was a faint vibration from her pocket, and she patted it surreptitiously. A small smile crept across her face. _I'm getting better. Nothing happened at the swimming pool or the library, and I didn't do anything to the car_. The vibration stopped, and her fingers tightened around the small shape of the phone. _I just have to stay in control until Mr. Canbury finds me a home._


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay!!! Brand new chapter after only a few days!**

**This is it for a while, though.  
We leave on vacation in five days, and will be gone for about a month.  
Hopefully I'll get some writing done during the vacation.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"That's all the information Keller had for you?"_

_"Unfortunately, yes. For the moment, anyway. He promised a fresh report the day after tomorrow."_

_"I don't like this at all, Optimus."_

_"Neither do I, but we must have faith in the Secretary of Defense and his men."_

_"In the meanwhile, I'll keep a close eye on the girl."_

_"Thank you, Bumblebee. Any information you or Sam can uncover would be helpful."_

_"I doubt it will be much. From what Bumblebee's seen of her, she's very traumatized..."_

_"Yes, yes, we all know what a good psychologist you are, Ratchet. Give it a rest, why don't you?"_

_"Bickering amongst ourselves is only going to aid the enemy. Bumblebee, it's getting late, you should head home. The same for the rest of you. Unless you hear from me, we'll meet here again, in two days' time."_

* * *

Chapter Nine

Sunlight penetrated a crack in the window curtains, then snuck across the floor and onto Katrina's bed. The glow drifted over her face and she opened one eye sleepily, then sat up with a gasp.

"Oh, no, what time is it, I should have been up hours ago!" The girl froze in the midst of her babble, and frowned, looking around the room. This wasn't the room in the governor's house. The events of yesterday flooded her memory and she relaxed. No wonder an alarm hadn't woken her, she wasn't with the military anymore.

The movie had lasted until nine thirty. It had been ten by the time the Camaro drew up outside the house, and Katrina could barely remember stumbling into her room and collapsing on the bed. She'd been so tired, but happy as well.

A smile brightened her face and she hurried to get dressed. As she pulled a shirt over her head, the girl realized she hadn't seen Morse. Worried, Katrina yanked down the shirt and started hunting for the cellphone spider before she'd even put her arms in the right holes.

"Morse?" she hissed, pulling her hair out of the shirt. She yanked it back into a ponytail and grabbed a brown elastic from a drawer handle on the dresser. Hair taken care of, the girl went after socks next. Still no sign of the spider. "_Morse?_"

Someone knocked on her door. Katrina looked up from tying her second shoelace. "Good morning. Who is it?"

"G' morning. It's Sam. Dad went fishing, Mom's at a friend's. I'm going over to Mikaela's. You'll be okay?" Sam was almost dancing in impatience outside the door, he'd been waiting for over an hour for the girl to wake up. Mrs. Witwicky had left him with express orders not to leave Katrina alone, but he'd promised Mikaela...

"What may I eat?" Katrina opened the door, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Have you seen Morse?"

"Cereal's in the cupboard, milk's in the fridge." Sam was already racing down the stairs. _She was sleeping five minutes ago, how'd she get ready so fast?_

"What about Morse?" the girl called after him.

"Haven't seen the freaky thing!" The front door slammed and a moment later the Camaro's engine started.

Even more worried, Katrina ate a quick breakfast, then washed all the dishes. After putting them away, she looked around her room again for the spider. Still no sign.

The girl called and searched for another hour or so, then gave up and flipped through the tv channels. Nothing looked interesting. She hated listening to the news and soap operas were stupid in her opinion.

Bored, Katrina gave herself a tour of the house, avoiding the bedrooms. A normal house, that was all. No skeletons in the closets as far as she could see. The girl gazed outside for a while, but Mojo was in his doghouse and didn't have a chain. She shuddered. No, going out wasn't an option at the moment. Too bad, she'd wanted to go biking again, even if it was on that horrid pink bike. Instead she went back to her room and tried to read.

Three hours later Katrina tossed the book onto the floor and flopped on the bed, scowling.

"It was better with the military, at least I had something to do." Feeling sorry for herself, she got up and went to the window. The girl shoved aside the curtains and glared out, resting her chin on her hands, her elbows on the windowsill.

Kids were biking down the street and kicking around balls in their front yards. An ice-cream truck ambled by, blasting a tinkly song that made Katrina wrinkle her nose, though she would've liked an ice cream. The dog was out there, though. No way was she going out, for anything.

Her gaze fell to the front yard, running over the stone path, the fountain and the small, scattered gardens. To one side stood a small wooden building the girl decided was a toolshed.

"That's strange," she muttered, leaning out the window a little further. The black sports car she'd noticed the day before was still parked beside the toolshed. _I wonder why they didn't take the car?_

The car itself surprised her - from what she'd seen of Mr. Witwicky, she doubted he'd buy a sports car rather than a more economical vehicle. Yet, it was the only explanation possible, since Sam had the Camaro and wouldn't need another car. However, if the man _did_ own the sports car, why wasn't he driving it? Curiosity warred with fear, the latter winning for the moment. Too dangerous to examine the car now, with the dog loose.

"Tonight," Katrina whispered, a small smile dancing across her face. She closed the curtains and turned away from the window, then remembered the missing Morse. Where _was_ he? The girl glanced at her dresser. The cellphone spider hadn't returned. A frown replaced the fleeting smile, and she headed downstairs.

If she found another cellphone, would it be able to trace Morse? The idea was tempting, but under the circumstances she didn't want to risk angering the Witwickys, and if the cellphone got damaged or lost, they might send her back to Mr. Canbury. He _was_ family, but his house was too much like a museum.

The front door slammed, interrupting her thoughts.

"Mom! I'm home!" Sam came into the hallway and gave Katrina a surprised glance. "Where's Mom?"

"She's not back yet." The girl could see someone standing just inside the front door, silhouetted by the bright sunlight. She tensed, hoping it wasn't Mikaela.

"She said she'd be back by lunchtime..." Sam glanced toward the door. "Come on in, Miles! Katrina doesn't bite... Do you?" he asked, half joking, half serious.

Katrina's frown deepened into a scowl. "No, I don't. If you see Morse, call me. I'll be in my room." She fled upstairs before Sam's friend had gotten three steps away from the door.

"What's wrong with her? And who's Morse?"

Sam shrugged, unsure how to reply to either question. "Want a Coke?" he asked, going into the kitchen and opening the fridge door. "Oh, wait, we're out. How about a Pepsi?"

"Pepsi'll do." Miles caught the can Sam tossed him, opened it and gulped down a large swallow of the sweet, fizzy drink. His was a bit unnerved after the drive over, Sam's car was almost scary. It seemed to have only two speeds, fast and faster. Another swig and the soda started to calm him down. "You see Mikaela today?"

Katrina forgotten, the friends' conversation switched to girls, cars and other such things.

Upstairs, Katrina searched her room one last time, then flopped in her bed, feeling exhausted, even though she hadn't done much of anything that day. The faint sound of conversation drifted up the stairs and through her door.

"Should've asked him to move the dog," she grumbled, her gaze flicking to the curtained window. The girl's eyes drifted shut, and she lay on her bed, dozing.

Her half-sleep was disrupted a few minutes later when a car's engine stopped outside the house, and Mojo began barking. The front door opened and shut, then Mrs. Witwicky's voice rang out.

"Sam? Sorry I'm late! Did you start the mac an' cheese?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's been so long! I'm finally back from vacation.  
Got several chapters written, so here's the first.**

**On a side note, saw _Revenge of the Fallen_ the day before we left on vacation.  
(we actually stayed home an extra day just so I could see it. My parents rock)  
It was awesome! I love it! Can't wait to buy it on DVD.**

**Of course, I realize this makes my story Alternate Universe now... Oh, well. I'm having fun with it.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Hey, Maggie!"_

_"Mmmm...?"_

_"Wake up! You've got to see this!"_

_"What is it?"_

_"Look, look!"_

_"Oh my god! The secretary needs to see this! It's exactly what he's looking for!"_

_"No kidding! Do you want me to call him?"_

_"Glen, it's two o' clock in the morning. Can't it wait?"_

_"I guess so..."_

_"Good. I'm going back to sleep. Wake me if you find anything else interesting, 'kay?"_

_"Sure."_

* * *

Chapter Ten

"Nice to see you, Miles," Mrs. Witwicky said, walking into the kitchen. "Sam?"

"Um, no, I didn't start it," her son mumbled, wishing he was on the other side of town. Or maybe in China. Or perhaps on the moon.

"_Sam!_ I told you five times this morning that you were to start dinner! Where _were_ you all day?"

"Um..." Sam tried to think of an answer that might possibly _not_ get him in trouble.

"At my place," Miles replied, tossing the empty can into the trash can marked _Recycling_.

Sam groaned.

"_Sam!_" his mother exclaimed again. "I thought I told you to stay home and keep Katrina company!"

"Sorry, Mom, but-"

"But nothing, young man! You're grounded tomorrow. Miles, do you want to stay for dinner?"

Another time the teen would have jumped to the chance, but the tension in the kitchen was strong enough at the moment that he simply shook his head.

"Maybe some other time. I've got to walk my dog."

"Give you a lift," Sam offered.

"Oh, no, you won't!" Mrs. Witwicky growled. "_You're_ going to start making dinner. Do you need a lift, Miles?"

"No, I'm good. It's not that far to walk. See ya, Sam." Miles was out the door in less than a ten seconds, a new record.

"Well, then I'm going to change into something cooler. Whew, it's been hot all day!"

"It's summer," Sam muttered. "It's _supposed_ to be hot."

"Still... And don't mutter, Sam!" Mrs. Witwicky vanished upstairs, leaving her son to get dinner together.

The teen pulled out a box of mac an' cheese mix. _Just Add Milk_, a label blazed across the front. He slammed a pan onto the stovetop, flicked on the burner, ripped open the box and poured as he rummaged for the milk jug in the fridge.

"Can I help?"

Sam jumped and almost dropped the milk. He hadn't heard Katrina come into the kitchen, but she was standing in the doorway, waiting for a reply.

"Uh, sure. Find a measuring cup, will you?" Waving the empty box in the vague direction of the correct drawer, he set down the milk and closed the fridge.

The girl scanned the measuring cups, then selected the correct one.

"Stick that in recycles." After trading box for cup, Sam measured the milk into the pan, then realized he didn't have a spoon for stirring. "Oops."

Katrina wordlessly handed him a wooden spoon, then took the milk and put it in the fridge.

"Have you cooked before?" Sam asked.

She nodded, a slight frown flitting across her face before it went blank. "A little. Just stuff from boxes."

"Thanks, Katrina," Mrs. Witwicky said, walking in, dressed in white shorts and a pale blue shirt. "Phew, it's hot today!"

The girl nodded in agreement. "Have you seen my cellphone?" she asked anxiously. "It's missing."

"Um, no, I don't think so." The woman shook her head. "What does it look like?"

Hesitating, Katrina tried to conjure a picture of Morph in cellphone form. "Uhhh..."

"Black with red buttons," Sam answered. "The logo on the top's in silver."

"Sorry, Katrina. Have you looked in Sam's car? If you had it last night it might have fallen on the floor."

Brightening, the girl shook her head. "No, I didn't check there. Is the car locked?" she asked, turning to Sam.

"Uh, no, I mean, yes," the teen stammered, not liking the thought of Katrina poking around in Bumblebee without supervision. "I'll go check," he offered, holding out the stirring spoon to Katrina. "Watch dinner."

"Sam-" his mother started to protest, but the door had already shut behind him.

"Why is he so protective of his car?" Katrina asked, sticking the spoon into the pan before it dripped cheese on the floor.

"First car," Mrs. Witwicky replied with a slightly forced smile. "In few years you'll know how it is. Here, let me stir that before it sticks to the pan."

After relinquishing the spoon, Katrina began setting the table. "Do you want me to make a salad?" the girl offered.

"No, there's plenty left over from yesterday. See if Sam's found your cellphone..."

"Nope," Sam interrupted, coming into the kitchen. "It's not in my car."

"Have you tried calling it?" Mrs. Witwicky asked Katrina.

Her face reddening, the girl tried to come up with a plausible reply.

"Um, no... I just got the phone yesterday. I haven't memorized the number yet."

_Definitely not_ her_ phone,_ Sam thought._ It _must_ be the one from before. I wonder how it go into her belongings_.

"Well, you should memorize the number as soon as you find your phone," the woman told Katrina. "If it gets lost again, you could call it."

Katrina made a small, noncommittal noise. "Please call me when dinner is ready. I'm going to search my room again." Without waiting for an answer, the girl hurried up the stairs and into her room. She closed the door and collapsed on her bed.

"Where are you, Morse?" she muttered, staring at the ceiling as she fought back tears. Just when she thought she'd made a friend - even if it was only a small, sentient machine - he vanished.

"I didn't take you to the movies," mused Katrina, glancing at the dresser where the spider had been the day before. "At least, I don't remember-" The girl sat up, eyes widening as a memory from the night before flooded her mind. She'd stuck the cellphone into her pocket before going down to dinner, but she didn't remember taking it out again.

"He must still be in the pocket," Katrina whispered, speaking her thoughts aloud as she scanned her floor for the pants she'd worn the night before. She'd changed into pajamas and left the dirty clothing on the floor - something she would have never dared do two days ago - but it wasn't there.

Sam knocked on Katrina's door. "Dinner!"

The girl came racing out. "What happened to my clothes from yesterday?" she demanded.

"Uh..." The teen thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Mom might have washed them."

Katrina swallowed hard. Cellphones weren't made to go through a washing machine.

"Why?" Sam asked, confused by the strange question.

"Morph was in my pocket. _What if he went through the wash?_"

"Um..."

"Sam! Katrina! Dinner!"

"Coming!" Sam called down the stairs. "Look," he told Katrina, "if the cellphone was in your pocket and Mom did laundry, she'd have found it."

"I've got to find him!" Katrina started down the stairs.

"After dinner," the teen hissed, hurrying after her. "Mom hates waiting to eat."

Katrina would have argued, but the delicious smell of melted cheese was wafting from the kitchen. With a brief, unspoken apology to Morph, the girl went to eat.

***

"I wonder when your father's going to be home," Mrs. Witwicky remarked as she put away the food while Sam and Katrina cleared the table.

Sam shrugged. "Fishing always takes him a long time. He won't come in until he's caught something."

"That's true." Mrs. Witwicky covered the last Tupperware bowl, then opened the fridge and began putting everything inside. "We were invited to a bridge tournament, however, and I don't want to be late."

"Bridge? I didn't know you played bridge." Sam frowned. As far as he knew, his parents didn't even know _how_ to play bridge.

"Oh, we're old champions at the game," laughed his mother. "Unfortunately, we don't have many neighbors who enjoy bridge."

"Where are you having the tournament?"

"We have new neighbors." Mrs. Witwicky smiled. "A very friendly couple. They have three children, which is why you and Katrina are coming with us. That is, Katrina, if you don't mind coming?"

"I don't mind," Katrina said quietly, with a sinking feeling. If they were going to a bridge tournament, when was she going to find time to retrieve Morph?

"Great." Mrs. Witwicky checked her watch. "We have to leave in forty five minute. I think I'll do a load of laundry before we go."

"I'll help," Katrina offered, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"No, you've done enough. Sam, do the dishes, then put something nice on."

"Will a Sunday suit do?" grumbled the teen. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes." Mrs. Witwicky's tone brooked no argument and she frowned at her son before turning to leave the kitchen.

Sam gestured frantically at Katrina. "Go on!" he mouthed, pointing out the door.

"Um, Mrs. Witwicky," Katrina said, hurrying after the woman, "Did you take the clothes from my room? I think my cellphone might be in my pants pocket."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry, Katrina. I didn't notice it. Yes, your clothes are in a hamper in the wash room. Come with me, you can look for the cellphone while I start the laundry."

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, the girl followed.

The wash room was small and crowded. It had a shelf with various bleaches and bottles of laundry detergent, a front loading washer and its dryer twin, several baskets of dirty laundry and an indoor clothesline that zigzagged across the ceiling.

"I think I put your clothes in that one," Mrs. Witwicky said, pointing at a large wicker hamper.

Katrina began searching through the dirty clothes, trying to ignore the various kinds of underwear mixed in with sweaty shirts and other clothing items. Meanwhile, the woman picked up a plastic basket and began to dump the clothes in it into the washer.

Reaching the bottom of the hamper with no sign of her pants, Katrina began to feel a little frantic.

"My pants aren't in this hamper," she told Mrs. Witwicky.

The woman sighed. "Well, I put all your clothing in one basket. Keep looking, they're around here somewhere."

The girl searched several smaller hampers and came up with nothing. Water splashing into the washer distracted her attention as she looked through another basket.

Mrs. Witwicky poured in detergent and closed the washing machine door. Behind the glass window, soap frothed in the water as the washer filled.

Still no sign of Morph, and Katrina had finished going through all the baskets and hampers. She sat back on her heels, trying to figure what to do next, when a small sound caught her attention.

There was a frantic beeping noise coming from the washing machine.

beepbeepbeep BEEPBEEPBEEP beepbeepbeep.

The woman gasped, staring at the machine.

Katrina dove across the room, reaching for the washing machine handle. She tugged frantically, but it was stuck.

"Katrina, what are you doing?" Mrs. Witwicky asked, confused.

"My-" The beeping stopped and Katrina went white, numb fingers releasing the slick metal handle. "-phone..."


	11. Chapter 11

**My life has sucked for the last week. Thank you all for your reviews, they cheer me up. :)**

**All right, here's the next chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Hey, Uncle John!"_

"_That's Secretary of Defense to you, kid. Did you find something else out?"_

"_Yep, and it's really going to make you blow a...whatever. You remember what I told you about that girl?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Well, her parents weren't the only family members who were part of Sector Seven."_

"_I thought her relatives consisted of two deceased parents and a cousin?"_

"_Actually, not counting the parents, she has two relatives..."_

"_Stop knocking about the bush, Glen, or it's going to be cold food and a barred window."_

"_Whoa! Enough with the threats. I'll make it simple. The old man living by the Wicketys-"_

"_Witwickys."_

"_The old man living near the _Witwickys_ isn't the only relative she has. There's also an uncle, and you'll never guess who it is. I'll bet the girl doesn't even know. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to-"_

"_Glen! I want the straight facts, not a play-by-play description of how you discovered them."_

"_It's Simmons."_

"_What?"_

"_The girl's uncle is Simmons."_

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"Your phone?" Mrs. Witwicky grabbed the handle and pulled hard. The door flew open, sending a cascade of water onto the floor. Katrina ignored her soaking clothes and the woman's question, she was too busy searching through the laundry for her pants.

"Does it beep like that when it gets wet?" Mrs. Witwicky ventured, fetching a mop.

The girl fell upon her pants and reached into one pocket, hands shaking. It was empty. _Wrong pocket_, she told herself, and checked the other. It was also empty.

"Oh, no..." She began shaking out every article of clothing, no matter what it was. The search took only a few minutes, but the cellphone did not turn up. "Where is h-it..." she whimpered softly, tossing down the shirt she was holding.

"Did you look in the washer?" suggested the woman, still mopping up the spilled water.

Katrina immediately stuck her arm into the washer and fished around. There were six inches of water that hadn't spilled out, and it was too dark to see anything. The girl glanced over her shoulder - Mrs. Witwicky was concentrating on her mopping - then stuck her head into the washing machine and snapped her fingers underwater.

A tingle ran down her arm, then a soft blue glow covered her hand. The cellphone was easy to spot, and Katrina grabbed it, then jerked as a strong shock raced up her arm and through her body. The blue glow faded and she slumped to the floor. Her arm fell out of the washing machine and landed with a loud thump, the cellphone clutched in her hand.

"Katrina?" Mrs. Witwicky gasped. "Are you all right? _Sam!_"

Sam came dashing into the room. "What?" His gaze landed on the unconscious girl. "Why is she lying on my boxers?"

"I think she fainted." The woman shook Katrina's shoulder. "She's not waking up... Sam, carry her to the living. I'll get some towels so she doesn't soak the couch, then call the doctor."

Grumbling under his breath, the teen picked up Katrina, grimacing as water soaked into his shirt and jeans. "Does this mean we aren't going to the bridge tournament?" he asked hopefully.

"We'll see. Hurry up, Sam." Mrs. Witwicky went into the hall and picked up the phone, then dialed the doctor's number.

"Mom, you forgot the towels." Sam waited a few seconds, then set Katrina on the couch. "It'll dry," he muttered.

"The doctor will be here in six minutes," announced his mother, coming into the living room. "Sam! I told you to wait for the towels. Now the couch is all wet."

Barking came from outside and Sam went to let in the dog before his mother could lecture him further.

Five minutes later, the doctor arrived.

"Where's the girl?" he asked, striding into the living room with a large black bag in one hand. "Hm. Doesn't seem like she's injured."

Mrs. Witwicky hovered nearby while the man examined Katrina. Sam leaned against the doorframe, trying to look uninterested.

Finally the doctor shook his head and began to pack up the various instruments he'd drawn from the bag. "She appears to be asleep," he told Mrs. Witwicky. "Give her an hour or two, maybe she'll wake up. If not, bring her to the hospital, okay?"

Nervously the woman asked, "You're _sure_ she's okay?"

"Ma'am, I've been a doctor for thirty years. This girl is simply asleep. Perhaps she got a slight electrical shock and it shut down her system for a moment, but there's nothing wrong with her, though she could use more sunlight. Have a good day, Mrs. Witwicky."

"Thank you... I'll show you to the door, then. Sam, get changed, for godssake! We're leaving as soon as your father gets here." Mrs. Witwicky followed the doctor out of the living room.

"What about Katrina?" Sam called, in a last ditch attempt to weasel his way out of the bridge tournament.

"She just needs rest," Mrs. Witwicky replied. "Right, doctor?" The woman glanced at him for confirmation.

"Yes, rest," the doctor agreed. "She'll be fine, son, don't worry. I'll eat my hat if your sister isn't bright and cheerful again in the morning. Good day, Mrs. Witwicky." He tipped his hat, then left.

A few minutes later a car stopped in front of the house.

"Sam! Your father's here! I hope you're dressed!"

Grumbling under his breath, Sam grabbed a jacket and shrugged it on as he hurried down the stairs. Outside his father beeped the horn impatiently. Mrs. Witwicky glanced into the living room before leaving. She was glad to see Katrina was still sleeping peacefully.

"Maybe I should leave a note..." The horn honked again, and Mrs. Witwicky hurried to the door. "Coming! Sam?"

"Coming, coming." The teen dashed down the hall and out the door after his mother. "Hey, where's my car?" Sam exclaimed, looking for the yellow Camaro, which was no longer parked by the garage.

"I don't know, Sam," his mother replied. "Hurry up, we're going to be late!"

"I still don't think it's a good idea to leave Katrina alone," Sam said, getting into his father's car. "You're leaving Katrina alone?" Mr. Witwicky asked, frowning.

"She's sleeping," explained his wife. "Drive, Ron."

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Sam complained. "What if she gets into something she's not supposed to?"

"For godssake, Sam, relax," ordered Mr. Witwicky. "We're going to have a nice time at the tournament and I don't want you to ruin my mood. Katrina's not going to do anything bad; she's a responsible kid. Besides, there's nothing to 'get into'."

"What if Bumblebee gets back before we do?"

Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky shared worried glances.

"I'm sure she'll be asleep for the rest of the day," Sam's mother said at last.

"All right." Sam sat back and started to relax. His parents were right. There was no reason to worry. Katrina wasn't the type of kid to get into trouble. Besides, what harm could she do? She was just a kid.

***

It was almost eight o' clock when Katrina awoke. She was disoriented for a moment, then recognized the living room. A sudden clatter startled her, then she realized she had dropped the cellphone when her hand relaxed. She rolled onto her side, reached down to pick up Morse, and found herself face to face with a growling Mojo.

With a scream, Katrina jumped to her feet and dashed out of the living room, chased by the barking dog. It wasn't far to the front door. Without thinking the girl yanked the door open and fled outside, closing the door tightly behind her. It was then that she noticed two of the three cars were missing and the door she had just closed was locked. Not that she wanted to go inside yet, as Mojo was yapping loudly in defense of his territory.

Katrina knocked on the door, then waited for several minutes for someone answer, but at last she realized the Witwickys weren't home. _They left me alone_, the girl thought, shoulders slumping.

The air was growing cold, so Katrina padded across the stone path in bare feet. She discovered that the grey car's door was unlocked. For a moment the surprised girl wondered why the Witwickys would leave such a fancy car unlocked during the night, then she glanced at the cloudy sky and decided not to complain about shelter. She slid into the driver's seat and closed the door.

No sooner had the door shut than it began to pour. Rain sluiced down the window – rather, it sounded like it was sluicing; Katrina could see nothing in the sudden darkness brought on by the dense storm clouds. The idea of attempting to return to the house was one the girl quickly pushed aside. Just thinking about it made her feel chilled. Besides, Mojo was in there. Katrina tucked her feet under her and folded her arms, shivering.

_They must have gone to the bridge tournament_, she thought, staring glumly out the window into the night. _I wonder when they'll be home._ Katrina sighed and closed her eyes. "Probably not for hours," she muttered. Her hands clenched. Something dug into her right hand.

"Morse." The girl flipped open the cellphone, but nothing happened. "I'm sorry," whispered Katrina, snapping it shut and letting the phone drop into her lap. "It's my fault." She bit her lip and flexed her hands. "Maybe..." The girl shook her head violently and slammed a fist onto her leg. "No, I can't. I promised not to." Katrina covered her face, trying to ignore the voice that whispered, _You already broke that promise, earlier today._ "No..."

Despite her protests, Katrina could feel the tingling grow again, this time much stronger. Gritting her teeth, the girl picked up the cellphone and cradled it in her hands.

"You're not going to die, Morse, I won't let you. You're my friend... Come _back_." Squeezing her eyes shut, Katrina released the power that was building in her, and it rushed out in a brilliant flash of blue.


	12. Chapter 12

**Site's not been working for me, or this chapter would've been up sooner.  
Apologies for leaving the cliffie for so long.**

**I've been getting lots of ideas lately for KS, and finally reached (in chapters 16/17) a section that  
I wrote about a year ago, from which KS grew from. I had to rewrite part of it, though. *face/palm***

**Hopefully FFN will start loading properly from now on, so I don't have to fight it just to post chapters!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Glen, I don't think I heard you right. You say Simmons is related to that girl?"_

"_That's right. I found the girl's family tree back five generations. Her mother was Simmons's sister."_

"_This is...interesting news."_

"_I thought you'd be interested. Why do you think Simmons took the kid to her cousin's when he was her closest relative?"_

"_I have no idea."_

"_I bet he-"_

"_Glen!"_

"_Maggie, get off the phone!"_

_Click._

"_Anyway, there's one other thing."_

"_I hope it's worth calling me at five in the morning."_

"_The cousin living in the Witwickys's neighborhood _isn't_ really the kid's cousin."_

"That_'s suspicious."_

"_Yeah, Simmons is the only family she has alive, and he just left her with an old guy who's no relation."_

"_The 'cousin' has no connection to S7, does it?"_

"_I didn't check. Should I?"_

"_Yes, you should. Call me tonight, if you've found anything."_

"_Tonight? I've been working nonstop for days!"_

_"Think of it as a test. In a few years you might find yourself working for the government."_

_"Yes! Hey, Maggie, did you hear that? You'll get your information tonight, Mr. Secretary."_

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"Ow." Katrina winced, the pins-and-needles feeling running all over her body. "I overdid it."

TAPtapTAPTAP tap taptaptap. _Yes._

The girl's eyes flew open and she cried out in delight, forgetting her pain for the moment. "Morse! You're alive."

The spider was sitting her lap, glowing a soft white. Rain still pattered on the car roof, but not as hard. A big smile spread across Katrina's face as she scooped up the spider to hug him.

"I did it." A tear trickled down her face. "I'm sorry, Morse, it's my fault you almost died."

Taptap taptaptap. TAPtap TAPTAPTAP TAP. _Is not._

The girl held the spider at face level and frowned. "Is too, and you know it. I should have been more careful."

"_Megatron! _I swear I'll kill you!"

Katrina flinched, her grip tightening on Morse. "What was that?" she whispered, eyes darting around. The spider hadn't spoken; _couldn't_ speak, as far as she knew. Was there someone in the car? And who was Megatron?

tapTAPtap taptapTAP TAPtap. _Run_.

The girl didn't hesitate, despite the falling rain. She shoved open the door, jumped out, kicked the door shut and ran for the house. She took shelter on the porch. The rain was falling in a slanted fashion, and some came onto the porch, but Katrina ignored it.

"Why did I have to run?" she asked the spider, glancing across the yard. She couldn't see the car; it was too dark.

TAPtaptap tapTAP TAPtap TAPTAPtap tap tapTAPtap. _Danger._

"What do you mean?"

Morse repeated the sequence.

For the next hour Katrina tried to get more information from Morse, but the spider would say little else, though he repeated the one word several times.

"Who's Megatron?" the girl was demanding for the sixteenth time when the Witwickys finally returned. The spider turned into its cellphone form, and Katrina stood with a sigh. She tucked the phone into her pocket and prepared for the bombard of questions the Witwickys would have.

"Katrina? What are you doing outside?" Mrs. Witwicky asked, getting out of the car. "You're soaked! Did you get locked out?"

Katrina nodded. She faked a yawn, which turned into a real one. "Mojo...startled me, and I ran outside. I'm sorry."

"Oh, I should have put him in a bedroom," Mrs. Witwicky apologized. "Were you outside long?"

"Not really." It had been at least two hours, but Katrina didn't want the woman to feel any worse.

"I'm sorry we didn't wait for you to wake up," added Mrs. Witwicky.

"It's okay. How was the tournament?"

"Great," announced Mr. Witwicky as he unlocked the door. Mojo darted out, yapping, and the man grabbed the dog. "Bedtime, everyone. See you in the morning."

"You better get some dry clothing on, or you'll catch cold," Mrs. Witwicky told the girl.

"Okay." Katrina went in, then headed for the stairs. She didn't want to answer any more questions, nor did she want to be near the dog.

"Sweet dreams," Mrs. Witwicky called after the girl.

"Thank you," replied Katrina before closing her bedroom door. She barely had enough energy to change her clothes. After draping the wet clothing over the back of her chair, the girl flopped on her bed and closed her eyes.

Morse was sitting on the dresser as a cellphone. He waited until the house was quiet, then changed into spider form and hopped to the floor. The spider scurried over to the bed, climbed up, then walked across the blanket – taking care not to make holes in the fabric – and settled down against Katrina's shoulder.

The girl opened one eye and smiled. "Night, Morse," she whispered, giving the spider a pat on the head. Still smiling, Katrina fell asleep.

With a quiet, contented beep, the spider snuggled closer, then closed its eyes.

***

tapTAPTAP tapTAP TAPtapTAP tap. taptapTAP tapTAPTAPtap. _Wake up._

"Uhhhhhh..." groaned Katrina, rolling onto her side and cracking her eyelids just enough to see the spider crouching five inches from her face. "What time is it?"

taptaptaptap tapTAP tapTAPtaptap taptapTAPtap. tapTAPTAPtap tapTAP taptaptap TAP. Tap taptap TAPTAPtap taptaptaptap TAP. _Half past eight._

The girl sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I slept in again." She yawned, then bounced out of bed, scooping up the spider on her way. "I'm _hungry_. Let's find some breakfast."

A few minutes later, Katrina headed downstairs, dressed and ready for a new day. The cellphone was tucked into her pants pocket with strict orders to beep if he fell out.

"G'morning," muttered Sam, who was sitting on the kitchen table with a cereal bowl in his lap. "Mom and Dad are gone again. I'm staying here."

"Mikaela isn't around?" Katrina asked, opening the fridge for the milk.

"She is, but... She's, um, busy today." The teen clinked his spoon against his bowl, an annoyed look on his face.

It wasn't hard to guess what had happened. "Your parents told you to baby-sit me?"

Sam blinked. The girl was right, but his mother had ordered him to pretend he wasn't staying home because he had to. "Uhhh..."

Katrina wrinkled her nose as she closed the fridge door. _I'm in the way, as usual_. "When are your parents coming back?"

"This evening." _A whole day of babysitting. What fun._

"Then you could be out until the afternoon and they wouldn't know."

"Uhhh..." _Is she serious?_

"It's okay, I won't tell." Katrina poured herself a bowl of cereal, put away the milk and cereal box, then sat down at the table.

Sam brightened. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asked, reaching for the kitchen phone.

The girl nodded. "I have Morse with me, I'll be fine."

Sam took a few steps away from the table. "Keep that thing away from me, okay?" The teen dialed a number, then stood by the counter, shifting nervously from foot to foot while the phone rang. He glanced at the kid. Katrina was hunched over her breakfast, poking at the cereal with her spoon.

"Hi, Mikaela, it's Sam... You want to hang out today? Okay, I'll be over to pick you up in half an hour... Hang on a sec, would you?" Sam covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Hey, Katrina, want me to drop you off at the Y? You could take lunch and spend the day there."

The girl looked up, a smile spreading across her face. _A whole day of swimming! _"Yes, please."

"Make that forty-five minutes, Mikaela," Sam said after removing his hand from the phone. "Thanks. See you." He hung up the phone. "Be ready to go in ten minutes."

Katrina gulped down the last half of her breakfast, then ran upstairs.

"Do you want to come?" she asked Morse while gathering her swim gear together.

The spider bounced up and down on the dresser, waving its front two legs in the air.

"You have to stay out of the water," warned Katrina, waving a finger at her friend. "Next time, I might not be able to save you." She adjusted her bathing suit straps, threw on a shirt and grabbed a towel and her swimming goggles.

Taptap. tapTAPTAP tapTAP TAP tap tapTAPtap tapTAPTAPtap tapTAPtap TAPTAPTAP TAPTAPTAP taptapTAPtap. TAPtap TAPTAPTAP tapTAPTAP. _I waterproof now._

The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

The spider began tapping furiously, and Katrina did her best to understand what he was saying.

_Phone form no proof. When you heal I change design little. Water no harm either form now. Swim!_

"Great." Katrina picked up her friend and started for the door. "Let's go swim."


	13. Chapter 13

_"Prime! This is Ironhide, on patrol. Simmons just entered Sam's neighborhood."_

_"What vehicle?"_

_"A blue Buick. Should I follow him?"_

_"No, continue your patrol. I'll have Bumblebee keep an eye on Simmons."_

_"Right."_

_"Bumblebee, this is Optimus Prime."_

_"Is something wrong?"_

_"Simmons was just seen entering the Witwickys' neighborhood. You must make sure the girl is safe."_

_"I'll do my best. Sam!"_

_"Bumblebee? What's the matter?"_

_"Simmons is back."_

_"Come on, Mikaela, we've got to get to the Y. Go, go, go!"_

Chapter Thirteen

"I'll pick you up at three fifteen," Sam told Katrina as she got out of the car. "Be waiting at the door, okay? Do you have a watch?"

The girl nodded and held up her left wrist, which had a clunky diving watch strapped to it.

"Okay. Don't forget!" Sam started the engine, but waited until the girl had gone inside before pulling out of the driveway.

Katrina watched from the door until the yellow Camaro was out of sight, then headed for the reception desk. Fortunately, it was the same man standing there, and he waved her in without protest.

Leaving her towel and shirt on the edge of the pool, Katrina slipped her goggles on, then jumped in, making a large splash.

Morse had been left on top of the shirt in cellphone form. After scanning the surroundings and finding no humans nearby other than Katrina, the cellphone turned into a spider. He scuttled over to the pool's edge, slipped on a patch of water, then tumbled into the pool with a loud beep.

"Morse?" Katrina was at the other end of the pool. She dove under and swam across, searching for her friend.

A slight movement caught her eye. The spider was walking along the bottom of the pool. It waved a leg at her, and she dove down to pick it up.

"Morse," she scolded the second her mouth was above water. "Don't do that. You nearly-"

"So that's what you call it."

Katrina froze, her grip tightening on the spider. She whirled around, though she already knew who the speaker was. _Blast, it's Simmons. What's _he _doing here?_

"Hello, Katrina. How are you today?" The man was standing at the edge of the pool, wearing a blue t-shirt and black shorts.

The girl backed away. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "You said no one from the government would bother me."

"Technically, I'm not 'from the government', since I got fired when S7 was disbanded. I'm here for two reasons. One, I wanted to get my phone back, but now I'm not so sure, since you've changed it into that creepy thing."

"You can't have him." Katrina clutched Morse against her chest. "What's the second reason?"

"The bad guys who were looking for the Cube have come back."

The girl swallowed hard. "But it got destroyed."

"Not all of it did, thanks to your parents."

"You're not part of the government anymore, you can't take me away!"

"Actually, you might want to leave on your own accord. They won't be fooled for long, and once they know who their target is, they'll blast their way through anything and anyone in their path. This entire neighborhood could be destroyed. Do you want that to happen?"

Katrina bit her lip, thinking about the people she'd met since she had arrived a few days ago. Her shoulders slumped. "No," she mumbled. "I don't."

"Then you better come with me."

"I don't think so," Sam announced. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "Get lost, Simmons. Come on, Katrina, it's time to go home."

"Acknowledged," the girl murmured, climbing out of the pool. She grabbed her towel and shirt, then edged around Simmons, who was scowling at Sam. Morse became a cellphone and she wrapped it in her towel.

"Let's go," Sam said, holding out his hand. "Mikaela's waiting in the car."

Katrina took his hand and shot Simmons a glare.

"You still have that _Camaro_?" Simmons asked.

"Yep."

"You better be careful." Simmons stalked out of the room.

Katrina frowned. "You know Simmons?"

"Passing acquaintance, that's all," Sam replied. "I met him a year ago on a...school trip to the Hoover Dam."

"Oh."

"Want some ice-cream? Mikaela offered to treat us."

"Okay." Katrina almost asked him what Simmons meant by 'be careful', then decided against it. _He's not asking lots of questions so he must not have heard what Simmons said._

"Why did Simmons want to take you away?"

_How am I supposed to answer that question? _"How much of the conversation did you hear?"

"Only the 'then you better come with me' part."

"Oh." Katrina shrugged. "He didn't like the idea of me staying with my cousin's neighbors instead of my cousin. Now I know why. He doesn't like you, does it?"

"I mouthed off a lot during the school trip. To say he was annoyed would be an understatement."

"Have a good swim?" the receptionist asked as they walked by.

"Yes," Katrina replied, crossing her fingers.

"Have a nice day."

"You want the front seat?" Mikaela asked when Sam and Katrina arrived at the car.

"No, the back's fine." Katrina opened the door, covered the seat with her towel, then sat down.

"Seatbelt," Sam ordered, starting the engine. "Where are we going for ice-cream?"

"There a new one over by The Garage."

"The Garage?" Katrina asked.

Mikaela nodded. "A repair shop where I work."

"Have you tried their ice-cream yet?" Sam asked, flicking on his signal for a second before pulling onto the street.

"No, but it's supposed to be good. The place is called Ripply's."

"Why?"

"Because the ice-cream they serve is 'rippled'."

"Two flavors swirled together?" Katrina guessed.

Mikaela smiled. "Yes. Do you like ice-cream?"

"Almost as much as I do," Sam answered, shooting Katrina a grin over his shoulder.

"Eyes on the road," ordered Mikaela. "You're going to give me a heart attack, Sam!"

"Right, sorry about that." Sam turned around and kept his eyes firmly on the road for the rest of the trip.

Ten minutes later they walked out of Ripply's, each carrying a three scoop cone. Sam had chocolate-vanilla, Mikaela had strawberry-coffee, and Katrina had opted for strawberry-butterscotch.

"You may like ice-cream but you chose the most boring flavor," Mikaela complained to Sam as they ate, sitting at one of the outside tables.

"Chocolate and vanilla are my favorites!" Sam protested. "Of course I chose them."

"Do you like it?" Mikaela asked Katrina.

The girl nodded and took a large bite of her top scoop. "It's great. Thank you, Mikaela."

"No problem."

They sat in silence for a moment, eating their ice-cream, then Katrina voiced a question that had been nagging her since leaving the Y.

"Why did you come back?" she asked Sam.

Mikaela and Sam glanced at each other.

"I wanted to make sure they let you in," Sam replied after a moment's hesitation.

Katrina nodded, but thought, _That's not true. What are you two hiding? _She decided not to question them further. The ice-cream was delicious, and the older teens didn't seem to mind that she'd interrupted their date. In fact, they were treating her like a friend, instead of a tag-along kid. Katrina took another bite of ice-cream to hide her smile.


	14. Chapter 14

**School started.  
****I'll try to update once a week or so.  
Being homeschooled helps, but I still have a lot to do...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Prime?"_

_"Bumblebee. Is the girl safe?"_

_"Yes. She's eating ice-cream with Sam and Mikaela. Simmons stormed out and drove off."_

_"Ironhide saw him leave a few minutes ago. Good. I have some bad news, though."_

_"The Decepticons returned, haven't they?"_

_"Starscream returned to Earth about a day ago. I can't pinpoint his location, but there _are_ others who are beginning to reveal themselves, and none so far are on our side."_

_"What are they after?"_

_"I'm not sure yet, though I believe the girl has something to do with it."_

_"I'll keep a close eye on her, then."_

_"Be careful, Bumblebee. The Decepticons are in hiding, just like us, and they could be anywhere."_

_"Understood."_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

"Did you have a nice day?" Mrs. Witwicky asked, passing Katrina the salad bowl.

"Yes, thank you," Katrina said, though she didn't meet the woman's eyes. The girl shot Sam a glance, but as he didn't mention Simmons, she took his cue and stayed silent.

"Mikaela came over and we went out for ice cream," Sam said, polishing off his second hamburger.

"That was sweet of you, Sam." Mrs. Witwicky smiled at her son, then turned to their guest. "Is your phone still working, Katrina?"

Nodding, Katrina speared a piece of tomato with her fork. "It's fine, thank you." She popped the tomato into her mouth, hoping to prevent more questions if she ate.

"Well, I'm off. The boys and I planned a poker game tonight at Jim's." Mr. Witwicky left before his wife could protest. Instead she shook her head and started collecting his dishes to put in the sink.

"I rented a movie today; thought you two might like to watch it with us, well, me," she amended, frowning toward the front door, which had just closed behind her husband.

"What movie?" Sam asked, looking up from his plate.

"_The Return of the Pink Panther._"

The teen groaned. "I'm going to my room."

"I'll watch it with you," Katrina offered.

"Thank you, Katrina. It's a detective comedy. I'm sure you'll love it."

The girl smiled, ignoring the vibrating phone in her pocket. Something was up, and her friend knew what was going on, at least part of it. She'd get the whole story out of Morse, and soon. Standing to help with the dishes, Katrina ignored the message Morse was sending again and again.

_Danger. Danger. Danger._

***

Katrina flopped on her bed, exhausted. The movie had been hilarious, and there was still popcorn scattered across the floor. Mrs. Witwicky had sent her off to bed, insisting the mess could be cleaned up in the morning.

"The dog'll eat it before then," she muttered, rolling onto her stomach. The girl dug the phone out of her pocket and dropped it on the blanket in front of her. "Talk, Morse," she hissed. "What's going on?"

The spider scuttled back and forth, tapping with its front legs. _Danger. Danger. Danger._

"Yes, danger, I get it! _What_ danger? Why? Morse, you have to tell me what's going on." Katrina slammed a fist on her pillow, trying hard to keep her voice low. "_What's going on?_"

_No tell._

"Tell me, Morse. _Please_." Katrina bit her lip. "Does it have something to do with the talking car last night?"

_No tell, no tell. No allow._

"Who doesn't allow? Is it Simmons? Morse, _who?_"

The spider folded up into the cellphone. When she flipped it open, the screen was blank. Katrina flipped it closed and tossed it onto the dresser, then buried her face in her folded arms.

_What am I going to do? Why won't Morse tell me anything? What was Simmons doing here? He said the government would leave me alone. What did he mean? Am I in danger?_

Countless questions swirling in her brain, and the few answers she had only led the way to more questions.

"I want them to just leave me alone." Katrina sniffled. "It's not fair."

Morse rang, and the girl's head shot up. It wasn't his normal code ring, but the real ring of a telephone. Katrina snatched him up, staring at the lit screen. The caller ID was blank, so she hit the TALK button.

"H-hello?" she whispered.

"Good, the phone still works like it's supposed to."

Katrina dropped the phone like it was a hot coal. Simmons, again.

"Katrina? Are you still there?" The man's voice sounded loud in the relative quiet of her room, she picked up the phone, covering the ear piece with one hand.

"What do you want?"

"Merely checking to see if you're all right. Have you changed your mind yet?"

"I'm not going back to the government, ever!" Katrina snapped the phone shut and almost threw it across the room before she remembered it was Morse. It rang again, but she shoved him under the pillow. The ringing stopped, then the spider came scurrying out.

_Stupid man. No like._

"Me, neither." Katrina yawned. "Night, Morse."

_Night_. There was a long pause, then, just as the girl was about to fall asleep, the spider tapped one last message.

_Car want talk._

Katrina snapped awake. "What?" she gasped. "What are you talking about?"

_Car live._

Remembering the events of the night before, Katrina groaned. "Oh, no. I _really_ overdid it, Morse, didn't I?"

_No. Dead. Now live._

"Huh?" Katrina shook her head, confused. "What do you mean? Cars can't be dead, then alive."

_No car. Want talk. Go._

Katrina bit her lip. "Are you sure that's a good idea? It might be dangerous."

_You safe._

"What do you mean?"

_Go._ The spider tucked its legs under itself and settled down, as if falling asleep.

"Morse?" Katrina poked the spider, without any response. "Morse? All right, sleep if you want, but you're coming with me. I'm not going to talk to a car by myself."

Three minutes later, she sneaked out the front door, closing it quietly. _Thank goodness the hinges don't squeak,_ she thought, slipping across the lawn. She'd forgotten shoes, and the stone path was cold on her bare feet.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she muttered. Sam's Camaro was parked right next to the sports car, she she had to use the front passenger's door. Katrina got in, closed the door, then gave Morse a shake.

"Now what?" she hissed.

The spider's eyes blinked open, then shut again. _Talk_, it beeped.

The radio made a crackling noise, and Katrina flinched.

"H-hello?" she asked, her voice wavering. "You can talk, right? You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes." The voice was quiet but unmistakable. "Thank you for bringing me back, however you did it."

"You're welcome... Bringing you back? What do you mean? Were you...alive?"

"I have a question."

_That's why Morse brought me out here?_ Katrina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Just one?"

"Three, actually. Who are you? Where are my comrades? _Where is Megatron?_" The last question was practically shouted, and Katrina covered her ears, grimacing.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I mean, I'm Katrina, but I don't-"

"My communication is down. I can barely speak to you. It took most of my strength to transmit to that little creature you're holding."

"Morse? Why were you...transmitting to him?"

"Never mind. Do you know what date it is?"

Katrina thought, then shrugged. Unsure whether the car could see her, she said, "I don't pay attention to the calendar much. It's summer."

"Do you know a Samuel James Witwicky?"

"Uh, I know a Sam Witwicky. This is his house."

The car gave an irritated shake. "How long have I been gone? I feel like every joint's rusted."

"Gone?" Katrina gritted her teeth. "Where did you go? Who _are_you? Who's Megatron?"

"That's not important. Can you fix my communication signal?"

"I-I don't know. I..." Katrina was tired, and she was getting a headache. "Look, I'll come out to talk to you tomorrow night. I'm too tired right now."

"But-"

"What's your name?"

The car was silent for a moment, and Katrina shook her head. "Good night. I'll try to come out tomorrow." She got out and ran for the house.

Slumping onto her bed, Katrina set down Morse and closed her eyes. Now she had even more questions.

"Morse, who is Megatron?"

_Car tell name._

"What?"

_Car-_

"No, I heard you the first time." Katrina yawned and rolled over, tucking her hands beneath her head. "That's nice. What is it?"

_Jazz_.

"Jazz?" Katrina blinked. "Okay. Thanks for telling me. Night, Morse. Don't wake me up unless there's a fire."

_Okay._ The spider curled up next to the girl and slept.


	15. Chapter 15

**It's been a little more than a week... Things have been difficult.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Uh, Mr. Secretary?"_

_"It's eleven at night! What does 'evening' mean to you?"_

_"You told me 'tonight', not evening."_

_"Did I? I thought I said evening... Doesn't matter. Make your report please, before I fall asleep again."_

_"Oh, I woke you up? Sorry, I didn't mean to-"_

_"Doesn't matter now, I'm already awake. Report, Glen."_

_"Oh, yes. Okay, I did as you asked, checked out the 'cousin'."_

_"Well?"_

_"It's hard to explain, sir. See, he wasn't directly involved with S7, but he worked for the government as a lawyer after leaving college, until retiring."_

_"Hm. Not for any certain group within the government?"_

_"Not as far as I can tell, but I did find one thing. The kid's _definitely_ not related to him, so scratch the thing I said before about her having two relatives. Simmons is the closest relative I can find."_

_"You're sure about that? Simmons has family, doesn't he?"_

_"That's the strange thing I discovered. I'm not a hundred percent positive, but it appears that Simmons does not have any relatives other than the kid. He was adopted. The kid's mother - I think it's the mother, too tired to check - is his half-sister. When he turned eighteen he sought out his biological family, but only the sister was still alive."_

_"Out of curiosity, what happened to the rest of the family?"_

_"Didn't look, sir. Mostly looked up the 'cousin'."_

_"And all you found on him was he worked for the government? That took you all day?"_

_"He has no living relatives. His will gives all his money to the SPCA. There was some scandal a few years after he started working for the government, but I can't find anything on it, not even on the government sites."_

_"How hard did you look?"_

_"That's what took most of the day, searching for information on that. Can't find _anything_. It's completely wiped from the system. Might be something in hard files lying around in the dust somewhere, I don't know."_

_"You did well, Glen, thank you."_

_"Just using my talents, sir. When do you think a job opening might come along?"_

_"We'll see."_

_"Anything else you need to know?"_

_"Not at the moment. Poke around if you want and see what you can find. I'll call you if I need more information."_

_"Will do."_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

It rained the next day. Katrina stayed in her room, under the pretense of reading. In reality, she was pressing Morse for more information, and not making much headway.

"How did Simmons manage to call you?" she asked, flipping idly through one of the library books she'd taken out.

_Know number_.

"Of course he does, you were his phone before I..." Katrina sighed. The spider had curled into a small, spiky ball. "Don't worry. He doesn't want you back, remember?"

_Yes._

Careful of the spikes, Katrina picked up her friend. "Besides, I wouldn't let him have you even if he did want you back."

_Know_.

"But you're not a phone anymore," the girl muttered, setting Morse down. "So why did the call go through?"

_Like phone, signal reach._

"Oh."

_Stay spider. No like phone._

"I don't blame you." Katrina took a deep breath, then asked a question for the hundredth time. "Who's Megatron, Morse? I know you know the answer."

_No tell._

The same answer she'd gotten the last hundred times. "_Why?_"

_Danger_.

With a groan, the girl flopped onto her stomach and poked the spider's side. "Come on, Morse, I need to know if I'm in danger."

_No tell_.

"Fine." Katrina rolled onto her side, her back to Morse.

_Sad?_

"Mad," snapped the girl. "Why won't you tell me anything?"

_Not know_.

"Yeah, right." She grabbed the nearest book and opened it, then settled down to read for the rest of the day, ignoring Morse's repeated attempts at conversation.

Morse insisted on going outside that night to speak with Jazz. Fortunately it had stopped raining. Unfortunately, Mr. Witwicky was watching a late night show, so Katrina had to sneak out the back door, which had squeaky hinges. She eased the door open and shut with only one or two squeaks, wincing at each little noise. _Good thing the tv's so loud,_ she thought, tiptoeing across the lawn.

"So, you want me to fix your communications thingy?" Katrina asked, yawning.

"Yes."

The girl bit her lip, gazing around the interior of the car. It was almost impossible to see anything, but there was nothing that looked like a communications device.

"Where is it?"

"Under my hood, but you only need to use the power on me and it should work."

"Right." Katrina rubbed her arms, beginning to feel cold. "I can't...summon it whenever I want to, but I'll try." She closed her eyes and concentrated. There was no tingling, no blue glow, despite her efforts. At last the girl had to give up, too exhausted to keep trying.

"I'll be back tomorrow," she said, yawning. "Sorry."

"I'll be here, resting."

Katrina trudged inside and up the stairs, quiet as a mouse. She collapsed on her bed, scowling. "What's wrong with me, Morse? I fixed you, why can't I fix Jazz?"

The spider made a shrugging motion, and the girl clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. A spider shrugging, especially a metal one, was a hilarious sight.

"Maybe I need to recharge or something..."

***

The next few days were dreary. Katrina continued to try to fix Jazz's communicator, but it seemed an impossible task.

One evening Mrs. Witwicky announced over dinner that she and her husband had been invited to another bridge tournament.

Sam made a face. "Do I have to go?"

"No. You can stay home with Katrina."

"Can Mikaela come over to watch a movie?"

"As long as the rating's not higher than PG-13."

Katrina poked at her macaroni salad. Her mood had grown darker since Jazz's revival. Morse was barely speaking to her, tired of the girl's ceaseless questions, and Katrina's many unsuccessful attempts to fix the car's transmitter didn't help her morale.

"Are you okay, Katrina?" Mrs. Witwicky asked.

The girl pasted a smile on her face. "I'm fine, thank you. Dinner's great." She took a large bite.

***

Two hours later, Katrina sat on the couch between Mikaela and Sam, half-asleep. The movie was an older one, supposed to be a comedy. She hadn't seen much humor in it, though Mikaela had hardly stopped laughing since it started.

"Watch out," Sam yelled at the main character, about to open a fridge. "There's a-" The fridge exploded. "-bomb." The teen cracked up.

Katrina gritted her teeth, then jumped to her feet. "I don't see what's funny about things blowing up. People get _hurt_."

The teens' laughing stopped.

"Katrina," Mikaela said. "It's only a-" The loud beep of a car alarm interrupted her.

"Bumblebee!" Sam cried, racing for the door. Mikaela hit the PAUSE button on the remote and followed.

Katrina ran after the older girl, thinking about Sam's striped car. _He named his car?_ she wondered.

The alarm shut off when they came out, and Katrina gasped. It was dark, and the nearest streetlight was burned-out so visibility was poor, but she could swear the yellow car had suddenly transformed into a robot.

"Sam," Mikaela hissed, pointing at Katrina.

Sam groaned. "Bumblebee! Turn back!" He turned to Katrina. "Don't you dare breath a word to anyone about this, understand?"

Katrina was not listening, she was looking past the yellow robot. "Jazz," she whispered.

Mikaela and Sam whirled around, just in time to see the sports car turn into a robot as well. Amazed, Katrina didn't notice the tingling feeling until it was too late. Blue light shot from her hands, surrounding the grey robot for a second before vanishing. Grimacing, the girl clenched her hands, feeling shaky.

"What the-" Sam gasped.

"Katrina, did you-"

Jazz interrupted the two teens. "Thanks, Katrina."

"Jazz!" Bumblebee cried. "You're _alive?"_


	16. Chapter 16

**Not much to say today....**

**Thanks for your reviews! They always make me smile. :)**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Hey, Ratchet, are you getting this signal?"_

_"It can't be... Optimus, are you hearing this?"_

_"What is it?"_

_"Optimus. Reporting for duty in ten minutes."_

_"Jazz?"_

_"How is this possible?"_

_"To the meeting place at once, and don't stop for anything. Ironhide, hang any family outings."_

_"Already hung."_

_"Honey, where'd the truck go?"_

_"Probably to visit his friends. You know how they are..."_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Sam held up his hands. "Hold it. Bumblebee, Jazz, back to cars before the neighbors see you."

"Good to see you, Sam."

"Glad you're back, Jazz."

"What _are_ you?" Mikaela asked Katrina as the robots became cars.

The girl shrugged. "No one important."

"But your power..." The teen stopped, lost for words.

"It's from the experiments," Katrina replied, looking at her hands, which still glowed a faint blue. She flexed the fingers and the shine vanished. "There was this huge square stone, with carvings all over it-"

"The AllSpark," gasped Sam. "I recognized that light."

"Project AllPower, you mean?" the girl asked, confusion filling her face. _How could they know?_ "The scientists, including my parents, believed that the stone's powers, if it could be harnessed, could be used to..." She shook her head, not wanting to remember the reason. "I don't know the word for it, but they used wires and needles to give me part of the power."

"That explains the marks on your arms," Micaela said. "But why you?"

Spreading her hands, Katrina looked between the two teens, seeming small and scared. "I didn't ask for it. They thought I could be used as a weapon, but before they started conducting experiments of how the power could be used destructively, something happened." She frowned, her eyes distant. "They woke me in the middle of the night. I was put on a jet and flown here."

Sam closed his eyes, remembering the events not so long ago. "Have you ever heard of Project Iceman?"

Katrina avoided his gaze. "No."

Sam looked sceptical.

The girl sighed. "Yes. I discovered it once, when I was...playing with a computer." _Please don't ask for more explanation than that._

Micaela and Sam shared a look. It was doubtful that 'playing' with a computer would have managed to unearth top secret information.

"All right, I was hacking into the government database." Katrina folded her arms and turned her gaze to the floor. _They deserved it, anyway._ "Why do you ask?"

"Because Project Iceman is related to the AllSpark."

"The stone?"

"Yes."

Katrina blinked. "How?"

"It would be better if we showed you," said another voice. The grey car turned and pulled alongside the three, doors opening.

"Bumblebee?" Sam asked.

"I'll be right behind you."

"How did you...bring Jazz back?" asked Micaela as they drove down the dark road. "He died while we were battling to save the AllSpark."

"Which got destroyed anyway, thanks to yours truly," added Sam proudly. "Fortunately it took out Megatron, too."

"Who's Megatron?" asked Katrina, ignoring Micaela's question. "I've been asking Morse for days."

"Optimus will show you," Sam replied.

"Who's Optimus?"

"Wait and see," said Jazz's radio.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Katrina demanded, glaring at the radio.

"Before?" Sam glanced back. "What do you mean?"

The girl blushed. "I've been trying to fix Jazz's transmitter for a few days."

"How did you bring him back?" Mikaela asked again.

"The night I got locked out, I sat in here for about an hour, because it was raining. Morse was...dead, I think, and I was trying to heal him. I think the overflow fixed Jazz. He startled me, though."

"How?"

Jazz answered before Katrina could. "I yelled, 'I'm going to kill you, Megatron!'."

"Something like that. Morse told me to run, so I did."

"Then what happened?" prompted Mikaela.

"Later Morse told me Jazz wanted to talk to me, so I went out and he explained about the transmitter. I couldn't get the power to work again, though."

"You've been alive for several days?" Sam asked, it finally sinking in. "Why didn't you say anything to Bumblebee?"

"I could barely use my radio speakers. My transmitter was broken until tonight."

"I don't know why the power showed up tonight," said Katrina before anyone could ask. "When I healed Morse, it was the first time I'd ever done it by myself."

Morse managed to wriggle out of her jeans. _Not true_, he tapped.

"What's he saying?"

"'Not true'," Katrina translated, reddening. "He's right, I made _him_during the jet ride. Simmons thought the flight attendant stole his phone. I didn't know what happened until that night. I turned his cellphone into Morse by accident, and he snuck into my duffel bag. I guess he didn't like Simmons."

_Do not_.

Katrina laughed. There was no need to translate.

"What about Simmons?" Mikaela asked. "Where does he come in?"

"He was part of Project AllPower. They sent him with me on the plane ride, then he dropped me off at my cousin's place. I don't like him."

"Neither do I. He's part of Sector Seven. I bet this Project AllPower you're talking about was another secret of theirs."

"Sector Seven?" Katrina shivered. "You win that bet. The lab coats all had 'S7' on them. I wondered what it meant."

"I see you have as many fond memories of Sector Seven as we do," Mikaela joked.

"We're here," Jazz announced, doors opening.

"Stay close," warned Sam as they got out. "They're careful, but it's dark and I'd rather not have to explain to Mom that you got stepped on."

Katrina cupped her hands together, and a soft blue glow filled them. _If only the healing part would come so easily_, she thought with regret. "How's that?"

"Great," muttered Sam, looking around. "Dim it a bit, though, unless you want the police to show up."

"Okay." Katrina spread her fingers and the light dimmed. Clicking came from her shoulder. "No, Morse. Not now."

"What's he want?" Mikaela stepped to the other side of Sam, keeping her boyfriend between herself and Morse.

"He wants to see how bright I can make it."

"Why doesn't it just say so, instead of using all that clicking stuff?"

"He doesn't need to speak. I can understand him just fine. Besides, he doesn't have a vocal cord."

"Oh."

"Greetings, Sam," said a deep voice. "Can you explain to me why I just received a message from a lost comrade?"

"Hi, Optimus. Uh, yeah, Jazz is...alive."

"How is this possible?"

Katrina squinted into the darkness. She could just make out a few robot shapes. Two were yellow, another red and blue, a third grey.

"Katrina brought me back," Jazz replied.

"Good to have you back, old friend." Optimus turned to Katrina. "You must be Katrina. How did you revive Jazz?"

"She has the power of the AllSpark," explained Mikaela.

"Impossible," exclaimed the yellow robot that was not Bumblebee.

"Not impossible, Ratchet, since I'm alive."

"It's the result of a Sector Seven experiment," Sam added.

"Human experimentation." Optimus shook his head. "I did not know that they used children for such things."

"I'm the only one," Katrina said. "My parents were part of Project AllPower. That's why they used me. They thought a child would be easier to train and control." _Yeah, right_.

Clicking noises came from Morse, echoing her thought. _No true_.

"Your little friend protests," chuckled Optimus. "Bumblebee told me you seemed odd, but he did not guess how different you are."

"I'm a normal kid," Katrina protested, the blue light on her hands vanishing.

"With part of a lost power within your very cells," Ratchet said. "A power that can create or destroy entire planets."

The girl blinked back sudden tears. "I didn't ask for it!"

"No, you didn't, but it's a great gift," Optimus replied, his voice gentle.

"What do we do with her now?" asked a different robot. "She _is_ dangerous..."

"Ironhide, enough. There's not cause to do anything, except thank her for returning Jazz to us." Optimus turned to Katrina. "Thank you, Katrina." The other robots murmured thanks as well, and Katrina smiled.

"You're welcome," she said, meaning it.

"Optimus," Sam said, "we were wondering if you could explain about Megatron and the AllSpark. Katrina doesn't know anything about them."

"Of course." Optimus's eyes flashed blue, then a hologram grew out of the darkness around them. "In the beginning..."


	17. Chapter 17

**I had fun writing this chapter!**

**Today I am sick, so am surfing the web looking for suitable Decepticons/Autobots,  
as my knowledge is limited to the movieverse, and I don't remember many names except for those who died.  
It's going to be an interesting mix, I think, since I'm choosing ones that I like the looks of.  
I am also open to suggestions.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Orders?"_

_"Keep an eye on the girl. If she runs, bring her back to me."_

_"It will be as you wish."_

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Katrina was silent for a moment once the hologram vanished. "I see," she said at last, "why they rushed me from the laboratory so quickly. It must have been not long after the battle in the city, just before Sector Seven was disbanded. They didn't dare have me around because the government would be asking questions, lots of them, especially if they discovered my part in Project AllPower."

"What exactly _is_ Project AllPower?" asked Optimus.

The girl bit her lip, then explained as briefly as possible. She even mentioned Simmons's latest visit.

"I think it would be unwise if you were to move elsewhere," Optimus mused. "Sam, would your family take her in? Permanently? If Simmons should return for her, he might bring official documents."

"Mom would love to have Katrina stay. I'm not sure about Dad, though."

"What about yourself?"

Sam shrugged. "Having a younger sister is...sort of fun."

Katrina blinked. _A family? Of my own? But..._ She bit her lip, eyes on the ground. _I want one that wants me because of who I am, not because of how dangerous I can be in the wrong hands._

"Then convince your father to let her stay." Optimus looked at the sky. "It grows late, now. Bumblebee, take them home. Jazz, please stay. We will fill you in with what has happened since Megatron's destruction."

Bumblebee became a car again.

"I knew there was something strange about your car," muttered Katrina as she got in after Sam and Micaela, remembering the radio turning on and off.

"You think this is strange?" Sam shook his head. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"I already have," replied Katrina, grinning. She pointed at the spider crouched on her shoulder. "Actually, a transforming car isn't as strange as some of the stuff I saw in the laboratory. It's not as scary, either."

"Scary?" Sam chuckled. "I was pretty scared when I first saw a transformation."

"I've seen scarier stuff," muttered Katrina. A yawn caught her by surprise.

"After your bedtime," Micaela remarked. "Hopefully your parents stayed out late, Sam, or you two are going to get an earful when you get back."

"I know," the teen groaned. "Get us home fast, Bumblebee. I don't need a grounding on top of everything else. At the very least, it won't make Dad very open to the idea of Katrina staying forever."

In the back seat, Katrina's fingers drummed on her knees.

Morse made a soft beeping noise. _Okay?_

The girl shrugged, biting her lip. _I need to speak up now, or never._

"I-" The word came out more like a croak. She swallowed and tried again. "I don't want to stay." _You just let an alien decide my future without my opinion,_ she added silently.

"What?" Mikaela and Sam both turned to look at her.

Katrina could meet neither teen's gaze. "I just... I've always..." She shook her head, gritting her teeth. Tears were stinging her eyes. "Never mind." She looked down at her tapping fingers and shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Okay." They went back to their conversation as if nothing had been said.

The girl twitched her left shoulder, the one Morse was perched on, then altered the rhythm of her tapping fingers.

_No_, the spider tapped when Katrina finally stopped. _No go_.

Shaking her head, Katrina leaned against the back of the seat and closed her eyes. _Later_, she tapped, letting her fingers relax after the last message. Morse tried to pace on her shoulder, but found it impossible. He settled down and clicked under his breath the rest of the ride home.

"Katrina, wake up." Sam shook the girl's shoulder. "They're not back yet, but they will be soon. Mikaela went in to get the movie ready."

"They'll be suspicious if the movie's just started," Katrina muttered, tramping into the house.

"She's fast-forwarding to near the middle."

"I'm going to bed." Taking the stairs two at a time, the girl vanished into her room before either could call good night.

"What's eating her?" Mikaela asked.

Sam shrugged. "No idea. I'll get some more popcorn."

Upstairs, Katrina was not sleeping. She was packing her duffel bag with everything she'd brought. The library books she piled neatly on the dresser. Morse scuttled across the bed, tapping frantically, without getting a response.

Katrina dumped the duffel on the bed, then hunted out a pen and a piece of paper. She scrawled a quick note, tucked it into the top book on the dresser, half sticking out, then picked up Morse.

"Don't try to change my mind, it's not going to work," she hissed.

_They sad?_

"It'll be better if I'm not here. Sam can enjoy his vacation and his parents don't have to feed an extra mouth they didn't ask for." Katrina zipped her jacket and slung the duffel over her shoulder. "Are you coming or not?"

There was no hesitation in the spider's reply. _Yes._

"Thanks, Morse." Scooping up her friend, Katrina checked the time. "Let's go before the Witwickys get back."

Morse pointed toward the window, and the girl sighed. "Can't take the window," she muttered, opening the door. "I can't jump two stories. Hold on, and don't say _anything_." She tiptoed down the stairs, slipped down the hall and out the back door, wincing at the squeaky hinges, but the movie was turned up loud and drowned out the noise.

Katrina snuck around the back, avoiding the Camaro. The last thing she needed was someone to notice her leaving, and she was sure Bumblebee would raise the alarm in a flash if he thought she was running away.

No one yelled after her as she approached the sidewalk. With a sigh of relief, she turned left and started to run, her duffel bouncing up and down, Morse holding on for dear life. _I hope no one takes me for a thief and calls the police_. The thought was enough to slow her pace to fast walk. Morse released his tight grip on her shirt, and she reached up to rub her shoulder.

"Don't dig the claws in next time," she grumbled. "That hurt."

_Sorry_. The spider pointed a thin leg, near invisible in the darkness, at her duffel. _Ride?_

Katrina considered it, then shook her head. "If I have to really run, I can ditch the bag and make better time."

The sound of tires on pavement startled her, and she glanced over her shoulder. A police car was rolling down the road. When she slowed, rolled up beside her.

"Oh, no, not now!"

The window rolled down. "Get inside," the driver ordered, his face hidden by the darkness. "You shouldn't be out this late."

_Run_.

Katrina ran. Rather, she took a swift step forward, and the police door opened so fast it knocked her down. "What the-" she gasped, landing hard on the sidewalk. The rough pavement dug into her hands. She thought she heard someone call her name, but was distracted by Morse tapping almost in her ear.

_Run_. _Run. Run._

"Get in the car, or I'll shoot your little friend."

The girl lifted her head, squinting at the driver. He looked strange, and there was definitely something wrong with the logo running along the side of his car. '_Punish and enslave'? What's going?_

"Get in _now_." The back door opened, and Katrina got to her feet. Something glinted in the driver's hand, and she climbed in, shaking. The doors slammed shut and the car pulled away. Katrina took Morse off her shoulder and cradled him to her chest, looking over her shoulder through the rear window. The Witwickys' place was peaceful. They hadn't discovered she was missing, wouldn't until the morning, and it would be too late then.

_I shouldn't have left._ The girl hunkered down in her seat, then remembered to buckle her seatbelt. It was a good thing she did, because the latch had hardly clicked into place when the car sped up.

_Where go?_ Morse clicked softly.

"Shut that insect up before I do."

Katrina gulped and shrank back, staring at the driver. Something wasn't right. He flickered, a bolt of blue running down one side, and she gasped. The image vanished completely.

"Figured it out yet, human?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Cold is gone, finally! School's getting better, too.**

**Annoyed at the moment, two of my favorite fanfics have vanished.**

**Hit a streak of ideas a few days ago... Chaps up to 24 are written.  
Not going to upload them all at once, though!  
I'll keep trying for at least once a week. Possibly every few days.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

"I'm back. So, this is what you've been doing? Guarding the Witwickys?"_

_"Mostly Sam. Good to see you, Jazz."_

_"Same here. It's good to be back... What was that?"_

_"I don't know. Wait! Is that _Katrina?_"_

_"What's she doing?"_

_"No, it's Barricade!"_

_"Katrina, no... Why'd she get into the car?"_

_"Alert to all Autobots, this is Bumblebee on guard in the Witwickys' neighborhood. Reporting the sighting of Decepticon Barricade, previously thought dead. He has taken the girl. Repeat, he has taken Katrina."_

_"Request permission to go after her."_

_"Denied, Jazz. It's an unknown situation."_

_"She brought me back, Optimus, I'm not letting them take her without a fight!"_

_"Jazz, wait... Optimus, Jazz went after Barricade."_

_"Bring him back, Bumblebee. We must not lose him."_

_"Understood."_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Katrina's heart sped up with fear. She licked her lips, mouth dry. "That was a...hologram?"

"Correct. You're smarter than you look. Now be quiet."

"Where are you taking me?"

"One more question and I'll fry your friend. Stuffing him down your shirt won't help."

Still, the girl slipped Morse under her jacket, then crossed her arms, mostly to keep from quivering. "I'll fry _you _if you touch Morse. You're a Decepticon, aren't you? Let me out or I'll...I'll put out your Spark!"

"You can't control the power."

Katrina blanched. _There goes my ace-in-the-hole. What am I going to do?_ "Oh, yeah? Watch me." She clenched her teeth in concentration, but after several minutes, her hands hadn't even glowed, much less loosed the strange power. The girl slumped in her seat, closing her eyes against the welling tears.

"Give up?"

"Shut up!" Katrina kicked the back of the seat in front of her. "Just...shut the hell up!"

"I'll deal with your attitude later. Right now I have a pursuer to take care of."

The girl turned around, squinting against the bright headlights following the police car. She caught a flash of grey. "Oh, no." Katrina yanked Morse from under her jacket and held him up to her face. "Morse, tell Jazz to go back. Tell him _now!_"

The spider didn't move.

"Morse!"

"I doubt his transmitter is strong enough." The Decepticon sounded amused. "I think I need to deal with this Jazz permanently..."

"No!" Katrina dropped Morse in her lap and pounded on the seat, the door, anything she could reach with her fists. "Don't you dare kill him." Her head suddenly felt as if it had been split in two, and she cried out, clutching her head with both hands. A high-pitched whine entered her mind, then resolved into words, spoken by two different voices.

"_Barricade, release her or I'll shoot!"_

_"Shoot and she'll die."_

_"If you harm her I'll destroy you."_

_"Big words for someone who's already died once. I'll send you to your grave again..."_

A third voice, smaller and almost too low for her to hear, piped in. "_Katrina say leave, Jazz._"

"_No!"_

_What's going on?_ Katrina let out a soft whine of pain.

_"Torturer!"_

_"I'm not doing anything, I swear."_

_"Katrina? Katrina!"_

"Sorry, Morse," she whispered, slumping onto her side. "It hurts too much..." The girl blacked out.

When she came to, she was curled up on the back seat of the police car. The voices were no longer in her head, but she had a bad headache. Almost what she imagined a migraine must be like. Katrina tried to sit up and groaned.

"Don't sit up. It'll make the headache worse."

"How'd you know I had a headache?" Katrina kept one hand against her forehead and managed to get into a sitting position, though she swayed a little before sinking against the door.

"You're groaning and clutching your head."

"Good point." The girl rubbed her temples. "I could use an ice pack."

"Do without."

"Fine." Katrina let her eyes drift shut. "Morse?" she whispered.

_Yes?_ tapped the spider.

"Did Jazz leave?"

_Yes._

"He did after your message," Barricade added.

"What message?"

"You screamed. It was very convincing."

_No. Go help._

"I don't think so, insect. Optimus wouldn't risk lives for a single human."

"His name is Morse," snapped Katrina, patting her friend's head, "and I'm Katrina, so knock off the human and insect stuff."

"I'll call you what I want."

"Where are we going?"

"That's need-to-know information."

_No need to ask if I don't need to know_, she thought. _I'm sure the answer will be yes_.

"Wake me when we get there, then." The girl tucked her legs up and stuffed Morse under her jacket again, not trusting the Decepticon alone with her friend while she slept.

***

Sam was using every swear word he could think of as he paced back in forth on the tile path in the front yard. Bumblebee and Jazz had just told him and Mikaela the bad news.

"I should've kept a closer eye on her," he groaned, slumping against the Camaro's hood. "What am I supposed to do now? Is Optimus and the rest of you going after her?"

"Not yet. Optimus says we must wait." Jazz's opinion of his leader's decision was obvious when he added with a tone of disgust, "I can't believe it."

"_What?_" Mikaela shook her head. "No, you can't just let them take off with Katrina and not do something about it! It's not right!"

"Yeah. _We_ should go after her, if no one else will."

"We have to follow orders," said Bumblebee, sounding guilty. "Sorry, Sam."

"Argh!" Sam did a quick dance of frustration. "Did anyone see which way they went?"

"I chased them," Jazz reminded the boy. "They were headed that way." He pointed.

"Great. You coming?" Sam asked, turning to Mikaela.

She bit her lip. On the one hand, Katrina was in grave danger. On the other hand, she was supposed to be in bed, sleeping, at this time of night. The decision was easy.

"Let's go. Jazz, Bumblebee, you coming?"

"Yes," the grey robot said.

Bumblebee hesitated for a split second. He was supposed to follow orders, but he was also supposed to protect Sam. "Yes."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Sam, you better leave a note for your parents."

"What, something like 'Dear Mom and Dad, went to save Katrina from the Decepticons, love Sam'? That'll make their day."

"She's right, you should," agreed Bumblebee. "But hurry."

"Glad you're on my side," the teen muttered, racing into the house.

A moment later, the cars were racing down the already cold trail their enemy had left behind.

"I don't suppose she left that creepy thing at home?" Mikaela asked. "Moss, or whatever its name was."

"Morse," corrected Sam absently. "No, she took it, I think."

"Maybe it-"

"Morse doesn't work for the Decepticons," Bumblebee interrupted.

"Then he's on our side?"

"He's on Katrina's side, or so he says," replied the Camaro.

"He could be lying," Mikaela muttered.

"I don't think so."

"But-"

"Don't argue," Sam grumbled. "Concentrate on following that guy, Bumblebee."

"I was just saying-"

"Well, don't."

"What's your problem?" snapped Mikaela, folding her arms.

Sam shrugged and muttered, "I'm worried."

"So am I," the girl admitted. "Any sign, Bumblebee?"

"Not yet."


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks as always for your reviews. :)**

**laureas pointed out that Jazz uses slang. I shall try to incorporate that into his speech.  
Let me know if it sounds unnatural, I've never written slang before...**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"We're not going to catch them_. _Barricade got too much of a head start."_

"_D'ya want to tell 'em that?"_

_"No."_

"_I'm hopin' as much as they are..."_

_"You hope to get her back before Barricade joins the other Decepticons? I don't think it'll be that simple."_

"_Which is why I told you _not _to follow Barricade."_

_"Optimus?"_

"_Come back to the base. We need to discuss this."_

_"Yeah, while the Decepticons torture Katrina!"_

_"You don't know they will."_

_"Are you nuts, 'Bee?"_

_"The scream you heard was transmitted by something other than Barricade or Morse."_

_"Barricade did have a sidekick, Optimus."_

_"Bumblebee, Frenzy died in the battle last summer, remember? One of his shurikens took his head off. The Secretary of Defense saw it happen."_

_"Then who was transmittin'?"_

_"Maybe he got another sidekick. What else could it have been? Katrina, transmitting? A human can't do that, Jazz!"_

_"A human can't possess the powers of the AllSpark, either, huh?"_

_"_You're_ nuts, Jazz."_

_"It's a good possibility. The AllSpark's power may be altering her mind."_

_"Are you serious, Optimus?"_

_"Unfortunately."_

_"That's _not_ good."_

_"Not at all."_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

"Human, wake up."

Katrina was already awake, but she'd been faking sleep for the past half hour or so. Now she groaned and cracked one eyelid.

"I have a name."

"Get _out_."

Letting her eyelid shut, the girl shook her head. Now that she'd slept for a bit, Katrina felt refreshed and ready for battle, even if it was a small one over the usage of her name. "Use my name."

_No good idea_, Morse tapped so swiftly the girl almost missed the message.

"Very well."

Katrina waited. The door flew open, her seat-belt unbuckled, and she was flung from the car by some invisible force. She brought her arms up to shield her face and drew her knees to her chest to protect Morse. Her landing was rough, and she did a full somersault, stopping against a large boulder. Fortunately it was her feet that struck the boulder, not her head, and though she felt like every bone in her body was bruised, Katrina was chiefly unharmed and fully conscious.

"Well done, Barricade. So this is the human with the key to our leader's revival."

Katrina raised her head and watched in horror as at least fifteen robots walked out of the darkness to surround her. The red light of their eyes glinted off something behind her, and she turned around, then flinched away from the boulder she'd struck. That was no boulder, it was the huge head of a robot.

_Is it dead? Is this their leader?_ Her gaze traveled past the darkened eyes to the mouth bared in a snarl, showing its sharp teeth. She'd seen that face before. _Megatron!_Gasping, the girl got to her feet and took several steps back, wanting to be as far away as possible from the dead Decepticon.

"Bring him back," the voice that had spoken earlier ordered. "As you did the Autobot."

The girl took a deep breath, then looked up, meeting the red eyes of the Decepticon. "No."

"I think you'll want to rethink that."

A soft whine filled the air, and there was a slight tugging at Katrina's jacket, where Morse was hidden. Before she could grab him, her friend was dragged out of his hiding place. Seconds later, the little spider was dangling in midair, waving all his legs and beeping softly.

_Run,_ he said, over and over. _Run. Run. Run_.

"Run and he dies."

"Give him back!" Katrina leapt into the air, snatching at Morse, but he was drawn out of her reach. The speaking Decepticon reached out took the spider in his hand. "Such a tiny insect, and annoying, too. I have no need for him."

_He'll kill Morse, unless I bring Megatron back. _Swallowing, the girl kept her tears inside with effort. On the one hand, Megatron would destroy the world if she brought him back. However, Morse was her own creation, her _friend_, and the world hadn't been so great to her that she would sacrifice Morse for it. "All right," she choked out. "All right. Give me Morse."

"After you've brought Megatron to life."

Katrina gritted her teeth, looking from her friend - so tiny in the robot's huge hand - to the large, motionless form lying on the ground. Despite her decision, she felt sick at the thought of aiding the bad guys._The Autobots can take care of these guys, though, right? They'll have to._

"Ac-" she cut herself off. _This isn't the military. I'm not about to show respect to any evil robots._"Okay. I'll...do as you ask, but I want Barricade to hold Morse." She folded her arms and glared defiantly at the Decepticon, who, she guessed, was the temporary leader. "If you kill Morse now, I'll die before I bring Megatron back."

"What a strange request. Agreed." The spider was passed to Barricade, who had changed into a robot during the argument. "Now do it."

Closing her eyes, Katrina willed, _begged_, the power to come. To her surprise, it did. Her hands began to glow blue. A moment later, the light had spread across her entire body, then focused in her palms and streamed out to envelop the dead Decepticon.

The power stopped, and Katrina slumped to the ground, exhausted. She'd already used her power once - no, twice - that night, and now all she wanted to do was sleep. After Morse was back in her hands.

"_Prime!_" shouted a harsh voice.

"Megatron," whispered Katrina, as Barricade dropped Morse into her hands. She held her friend tightly, shaking.

"All hail Lord Megatron!"

"Morse, _what have I done?_" the girl moaned, her quiet voice lost in the loud conversation between Megatron and his followers.

_Safe_, the spider tapped.

"For how long?" Katrina bowed her head and sobbed. "I couldn't let them kill you... But everyone's going to hate me. I want to go _home_."

_Where?_

The girl shook her head, tears dripping off her nose. "I don't know. The Witwickys won't want me back, not after this..."

"Witwicky?" Suddenly Megatron's face was right in front of her, terrifying in its closeness. "Did you say Witwicky?"

"N-no," stammered Katrina. "Ritwisky, I said. They're my foster family."

"The human's lying. She was staying with the family of the boy who destroyed you."

"And you brought me back. What a fine payment for their hospitality." Megatron laughed and straightened. "Humans are stupid. I have no need for this lying brat. Shoot her."

"But the AllSpark's power, lord..."

"Silence, Starscream. We have no need for the power. Already our force is more than triple that of the Autobots. We will crush them and take this planet for ourselves."

Katrina clapped her hands over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Shaking, she scooped Morse out of her lap. "Run," she whispered to her friend, then set him down next to her, hidden in her shadow. The spider stayed put, even when she gave him a flick of her finger.

"You have to warn everyone."

Morse finally took a step away, and was immediately grabbed by Barricade.

"My lord, I would have the girl, and the insect, if you have no further use for them."

"Why?"

"It's been a long time since I've had a prisoner."

"Take her then, but do not let her escape. Kill her when you've finished torturing her."

_Torturing?_ Katrina jumped to her feet and ran forward, but was lifted by the back of her shirt before she'd gone two paces.

"Don't even think about running away."

"Retire to your resting places," ordered Megatron. "Report to me in the morning."

Katrina clutched Morse to her chest as she was carried away by the Decepticon. "I'm sorry, Morse. I should've left you at their house."

The spider stayed silent. He was mad at himself for not realizing why his friend wanted him to run before it was too late.

Barricade walked for what seemed like forever. At last he stopped and dropped Katrina on the ground. The girl landed on her shoulder, almost dislocating it. She ground her teeth against a moan of pain and sat up, rubbing her shoulder.

"Where are we?" she asked, forcing her eyes to stay open. No way was she going to fall asleep before getting some information.

"Fifty miles from town. Don't even think about running away."

"Why did you save me?"

"It wasn't a personal favor, if that's what you're thinking." Barricade paused, then spat out, "I need your help."

Katrina couldn't keep from laughing. "_You_ need _my_ help?"

In answer, Barricade set something on the ground in front of her. The girl's laughter stopped and she stared at the little twisted heap of silver-blue metal, then turned her gaze to the Decepticon.

"You want me to fix this thing?" she demanded, folding her arms. "Or what, you'll torture me?"

"That was Megatron's idea, not mine. I'm a soldier, not a..." The Decepticon shrugged and waved dismissively. "It's not a 'thing', this is Frenzy. And you _will_ fix him."

"In return for what?"

"Your _life?_"

"I want to go home."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Megatron forbade it." Barricade's voice was firm. "However... _If_ you bring Frenzy back, I'll keep you safe."

Katrina barely kept from snickering, the Decepticon sounded disgusted by the idea. She glanced at Morse, who shrugged, then shrugged herself. "That sounds fair." _Best I can do right now_. The girl sighed, tucked Morse into her jacket, and began to study Frenzy. Almost immediately she noticed a problem.

"Where's his head?"

"One of the men he was attacking took the head," Barricade growled, clenching his hands.

"Then it's no good." The girl spread her hands helplessly. "I can't fix him without the head."

"I'll get it."

"I can help." _Not that I want to._

"You must. The man who took the head has a lot of security measures on his house."

_Enough security that one of the bad guys is deterred?_ Katrina gulped. _This is _not_ going to be easy._ "Who is it?"

"Former Sector Seven Agent Simmons."

The girl groaned and buried her face in her hands.


	20. Chapter 20

**Lots of stuff going on in RL, but I will try to continue posting at least two chapters a week.**

**Sorry, short chapter. Next one is longer, will have up in a few days.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Glen, I told you not to call me this early in the morning-"_

_"This is Optimus Prime, Secretary. We have a problem."_

_"What is it?"_

_"The girl staying with the Witwickys, Katrina, has been abducted by a known Decepticon."_

_"_What!"

_"It's true. Bumblebee and Jazz both saw it."_

_"Jazz? I remember that name... Isn't that the Autobot that died?"_

_"Yes. We've discovered what the experiments did to Katrina."_

_"I have a feeling I'm not going to like what I'm about to hear. Before you explain, has anyone gone after Katrina?"_

_"Yes, Bumblebee and Jazz are looking right now."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Katrina lay on her back, using her duffel for a pillow, and stared at the stars. This far from town, it was much easier to find the constellations, but she couldn't stay focused on them.

_Why'd it have to be Simmons? With my luck, he'll catch me stealing the stupid robot's head and I'll _never_be able to go home. Wherever home is now. Will the Witwickys want me back after this? I just brought the world's worst enemy back to life, after Sam and Optimus and the others almost died to stop him. Jazz _did_ die. They're all going to be mad when they find out. I almost wish this was a dream, and I could wake up, but that would mean Morse was a dream, too._

Sighing, the girl rolled onto her side. Morse was curled up on the ground nearby, sleeping peacefully. _I wonder if he dreams._ She yawned and rubbed her eyes. _I wish I could sleep right now._

***

"It's almost four, Sam. I have to go home." Mikaela checked her face in the rear view mirror. There were dark bags under her eyes, which were barely open. She was tired. So was Sam, and even the two Autobots were beginning to slow down.

"All right." Sam yawned. "Let's go home, Bumblebee."

The Camaro agreed and transmitted his intentions to Jazz.

Jazz was irate. "_We've gotta keep searching!_"

"_The humans are tired. What would you have me do? Let's go home, rest a while, then continue to search. Perhaps Optimus will have decided it's the best course of action by now."_

_"Fine, have it your way, but I wanna be searchin' again by noon, whatever Optimus says."_

_"Agreed."_

***

Barricade prodded the girl with one finger. "Human, wake up. It's time to go."

Scowling, Katrina turned her back on the Decepticon. "It's Katrina, not human," she muttered sleepily. "And it's too early."

"Get _up!_" He gave her a sharper poke.

The girl sat up, her eyes flying open. "That _hurt_. You could break my ribs, robot."

"_What_ did you call me?"

Katrina stuck her tongue out at him. "You need my help to bring back Frenzy, so you better start learning to call me Katrina, or I'll be calling you robot, _robot_. And Morse is _Morse_, not insect."

Barricade turned into a car and opened the back door. "Get. In. Now."

Deciding not to bait the Decepticon any further at the moment, Katrina scooped up her duffel and the still sleeping Morse, then climbed in. The door slammed shut so fast her foot came close to being crushed. She sat down quickly and grabbed the seat-belt. By the time it had snapped into place, Barricade was racing along a bumpy road at ninety miles an hour.

The girl opened her mouth to comment about speeding, then shut it. Her eyelids still felt heavy, and now would be a good time to get some more sleep. Breaking into an alarmed place was going to be bad enough without being groggy as well.

***

Mrs. Witwicky pounded on her son's bedroom door. It was almost lunchtime and he hadn't stirred, but that was not the reason the woman was worried. "Sam? Sam! Where's Katrina? She's not in her room or the house, or even outside."

Sam managed to rouse himself and slunk across the room to open the door a crack. "I don't know where the kid-oh! Yes, I do, but you're not going to like it, Mom."

"In that case, you better come down and tell your father and I what happened."

_No thanks_. "Katrina decided to run away yesterday and a Decepticon got her."

"Oh my god!" Mrs. Witwicky covered her mouth, eyes widened with horror. "The poor girl! Did you send those robots after the kidnapper?"

"Autobots, Mom. Not robots. Jazz and Bumblebee went after them, but couldn't rescue her. Oh, yeah, Jazz is back. He's outside with Bumblebee."

"_Another_ robot at our house? Sam!"

"He wants to look for Katrina. He just needs to rest a bit."

"Why can't he rest where the other robots are resting?"

"Because Optimus didn't want Jazz and Bumblebee looking for Katrina. He's worried it's a trap."

"_What?_They're not all going to search? I'm going out there right now and that Camaro's going to take me to Optimus so I can give him a piece of my mind!"

"I don't think he'll listen to you."

"I'll _make_ him listen to me. There's a poor girl out there who needs help!"

"Don't worry, we're going to search some more after lunch... Oh my god, it's twelve already!" Sam ran for the front door. The cars were starting their engines. He barely made it. Bumblebee revved his engine while the teen jumped in and buckled his seat-belt, then tore out of the driveway, Jazz right behind.

"You better bring her back!" Mrs. Witwicky yelled out the front door, not completely sure whether she was ordering her son or the two cars that were driving off, one very obviously without a driver. Well, without a driver for a few seconds. As the woman watched, a hologram flickered to life.

"Think we should go after them?" she asked her husband, returning to the living room. "Sam could get hurt."

"Oh, he'll be fine. He's got those big robots to keep him safe, after all. What's the worse that could happen?"

***

"That's strange," Bumblebee muttered as they left the city. "I'm getting a signal...that's not possible."

"What is it?" Sam asked. When the Autobot didn't reply immediately, the teen's worry level rose a few more degrees. "Bumblebee, _what is it?_"

"It seems to be coming from Megatron. A warning." Bumblebee slowed for a moment. "Now Optimus is requesting Jazz and I to return to the hideout."

"You can't! We have to save Katrina, or Mom will..." Sam's voice trailed off and he sat in silence, arms folded.

"We can go," the Autobot announced a moment later, after he and Jazz had argued with their leader. "For today."

"What if we don't get her back today?"

Bumblebee was silent, letting Sam figure it out himself.

The teen didn't argue, but for once he did not enjoy the air-conditioned ride. The Camaro was silent, as was his companion. Neither wanted to call attention to themselves by transmitting, even to each other.

Bumblebee did send one message. "_She could be dead already, or working for the Decepticons_."

"_I refuse ta believe Katrina'd do such a thing_."

The Camaro left it at that.


	21. Chapter 21

**Dad hasn't yet decided if we're going with him on a trip,  
so I may or may not be leaving next week for who knows how long.  
I'd rather not go.**

**Long chapter today. I'll try to get another up Friday or Saturday.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Bumblebee, reporting in. Still no sign of Katrina or Morse. Did you tell the Secretary of Defense about Megatron?"_

_"Yes. He was not pleased, nor can he help us at this time."_

_"Does he want us to confront Megatron?"_

_"If necessary. I also told him about Katrina."_

_"What? Why? The government'll lock her up again."_

_"He wanted to know how Megatron came back. Calm down, Jazz, they won't lock her up."_

_"They better not, or the White House'll become the _Smoke_ House."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty One

Standing on the sidewalk in front of Simmons's house, Katrina was not impressed. Unlike the houses on either side, its lawn was unmowed, two shutters were ready to fall off, the paint was peeling and the shingles were loose. Overgrown shrubbery threatened to engulf the front door.

"I can't believe this is his house," she muttered. "Piece of cake."

_No_. Morse's reply to her audacity was firm. _Lasers._

"You can tell?"

_Yes_.

Katrina swallowed. Shorting out the lasers would be easy if she could use her strange power, but it was not responding. She and Morse would have to do it alone.

"Morse, maybe you should stay in the car-I mean, with Barricade." She glanced over her shoulder. The police car was sitting quietly next to the curb, but she was sure that if she tried running, she'd get shot in the back.

The spider shook its head. _Come_. It jumped off her shoulder, landed on the pavement with a click, then scuttled down the driveway, slowly. It stopped, then did hopped a foot in the air.

_He's jumping the laser beams,_ Katrina realized. She stepped onto the driveway, freezing for a second, then followed the spider's movements exactly, stepping over any places he jumped and avoiding the places he avoided. At one point, Morse let out a harsh hissing sound, and Katrina stopped moving. The spider scuttled back and jumped again, showing her that the laser was three inches closer than she had thought.

After what seemed like an eternity, thanks to several more near-misses, they reached the front door. The sound of a revving engine came from the road, and Katrina glanced over her shoulder, then turned and gave Barricade two thumbs up before looking to Morse for the next move.

_Hard_. The spider's head swiveled as it looked from the door to the windows to the bushes next to the house.

"Which way, Morse?" Katrina's eyes darted to the nearby houses. _I hope the neighbors aren't home._ "We have to hurry."

_Handle hot. Wait_. After tapping the lengthy message, Morse climbed up the wall and scuttled through an open window, almost flat.

_More lasers, I bet_. Katrina rolled her eyes. _You'd think he was hiding something._ A slight smile spread across the girl's face. _Maybe he is._

Some clicking noises came from the doorknob's area on the door, then a muffled, _Come_.

Katrina gave the door a tentative push, and it swung open. Morse had his head in the house alarm, red and blue lights blinking on his back. The girl stepped in, shut the door, then waited for her friend to finish.

_Deact_, Morse said, withdrawing his head and jumping to Katrina's shoulder. _Clear_.

"Well done, Morse." The girl grinned as she headed for the living room. "Bested by a girl and a little 'insect'. I might just leave a note."

_No_.

"You're right, that would probably be a bad idea. He might be able to track you."

"Good guess," Simmons said, walking out of the living room. He was holding a gun that was pointed straight at Katrina. "Hands in the air, please. Any weapons?"

"No." _I don't have a license_, the girl thought, deciding that rolling her eyes would not be a good idea.

"Stand against the wall and set that insect down. If it moves a leg I'll shoot it."

Katrina gritted her teeth, but followed the orders. "If you would let me explain-"

"Shut up. I'm calling the police."

"Wait!"

"Don't give me orders, kid, you've got a loaded gun pointed at you."

"If you shoot me, Barricade's going to destroy this place."

"Who, your little friend? I thought its name was Morse. It couldn't destroy a pencil."

"No, Barricade's the-ow!" Katrina's hands dropped to clutch her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, grimacing against the headache that had suddenly started, threatening to split her head in two. The whining sound returned, almost immediately becoming words.

"_Barricade, report! You were supposed to be here hours ago. This insolence will not go unpunished."_

"_My humble apologies, Lord Megatron. Do you require information?_"

"_What have you done with the human?"_

"_Killed her."_

"_Then return at once."_

"_Understood."_

The headache vanished with the voices, but Katrina stayed curled up on the floor, shaking.

_What's going on?_ "Morse?" she whispered, her mouth dry.

"What's going on?" demanded Simmons, unknowingly voicing the question that was sitting at the front of Katrina's mind. "Why is a police car parked outside my house?"

"That's Barricade." The girl swallowed. "Can I have a drink?"

Simmons muttered something under his breath, but set the gun on a nearby table and headed for the kitchen.

_No smart_, Morse tapped, causing Katrina to laugh.

"Why are you here?" Simmons asked, returning with a glass of water. He withheld the glass when Katrina reached for it, shaking his head. "Information first."

"Barricade wants to bring Frenzy back. His sidekick. He saved me from Megatron. Brought me here so I could get the head."

"That's my battle trophy."

"If I don't have the head, I can't bring Frenzy back, and Morse will die." Katrina grabbed for the glass, but the man put it behind his back. Something had clicked in his mind.

"Megatron? NBE1? He was destroyed."

Katrina mumbled something.

"What did you say?"

"I brought him back," she admitted. "I didn't want to, but they were going to kill Morse."

"Instead they're going to kill _Earth_, you stupid kid!"

"Morse is the only friend I have," snapped Katrina, jumping to her feet. She scooped up Morse on the way and tucked him into her jacket. "Besides, the Autobots can handle the Decepticons."

Simmons began pacing the floor, shaking his head. "I've been keeping an eye on both groups. Not a single good guy has revealed himself, other than those already here. However, the bad guys..."

Katrina remembered how many Decepticons she'd seen, and what Megatron had said about having more forces than the Autobots. _There's only five Autobots against those guys?_ "The government will help, though, right?"

"The government is busy keeping your friends hidden from the public, and not even doing a good job. Sector Seven did that job until they fired all of us." Simmons scowled. "If they hadn't, we wouldn't be in this mess."

The girl bristled. "Look, you don't have to do anything! Just give me the head and I'll leave, and you can sit here and be mad with the government until the world gets destroyed."

A horn honked outside, and Katrina flinched. "He's getting impatient. _Please_ give me the head!"

"Take this." Simmons thrust the glass into her hands, then stalked into the living room. He returned a moment later carrying a spiky thing that barely resembled a head, but was made of the same material as the pieces Barricade had. Katrina set down the empty glass and took the head, then started for the door.

The man frowned for a moment, thinking, then said, "Hey, kid-"

The door slammed.

Simmons shook his head, then picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory. While the phone was ringing, he noticed that the gun that had been sitting on the table was gone, and started to laugh.

***

"I've got the head." Katrina sat down and dropped the thing on the seat beside her. "Let's go before a real cop shows up."

Tires squealing, the police car shot down the road. "Is that a gun?"

The girl nodded and started to check for bullets. Instead of bullets falling out, water was dumped on her lap. Katrina cried out and dropped the gun as if it was hot.

"What the..." She rubbed a finger against her soaked pants, then stared at the white foam. "He fooled me."

"From the looks of things, that wouldn't take much. A _toy_?"

"It looked real." Katrina weighed it in her hand. "Even feels real. Why would he have something like this?"

"I don't know and don't care. You're going to fix Frenzy while I meet with Megatron, understand? Don't try to run."

Katrina opened her mouth to mention the strange headache with the voices, then decided that was information she should keep at the moment, if the Decepticon didn't already know. _It won't take me long to fix Frenzy. Morse and I could hide in the desert until dark, then make it back to the city by morning._

As if reading her mind, Barricade added, "I'm taking the insect with me."

"What? No! Morse stays with me, or I won't fix Frenzy."

"Don't argue with me, human."

"It's Katrina!" The girl yelled, sheer frustration outweighing common sense. "Don't call me human! I'm sick of it! Everyone's always calling me kid or girl or experiment or human, and _I hate it!_"

"If Frenzy didn't need to be fixed, I'd shoot you right now," Barricade growled. "You don't give me orders."

Katrina squeezed her eyes shut. _I have to behave like a soldier,_ she told herself._Like they taught me. Forget everything I learned from living with the Witwickys._ She could almost feel gears switching positions in her mind, reverting her back to her old self. The girl waited a moment longer, then opened her eyes, her face a calm, blank mask.

"Morse can go with you," she said quietly, giving her friend a gentle squeeze to keep him from saying anything, "if you won't harm him. I'll fix Frenzy." Katrina took a deep breath and added, a sour taste in her mouth, "I'm sorry for yelling." She leaned back and closed her eyes, in desperate need of rest.

Barricade was silent for a long time, until the girl had fallen asleep and Morse had shut down. No one but himself heard the Decepticon say, "Apology accepted."


	22. Chapter 22

**Phew. Chapter 22 already! Makes me wonder when this story plans to finish...**

**As always, thanks for reading/reviewing!**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Who is this?"_

_"It's Simmons, sir. I don't suppose you're looking for a kid? A girl?"_

_"Simmons... _You_'ve seen Katrina?"_

_"Less than a minute ago."_

_"Where?"_

_"She was in my house, looking for the trophy I had, but that's not why I'm calling."_

_"Let me guess, she told you she brought Megatron back?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And you didn't detain her?"_

_"Didn't get a chance. She ran."_

_"And you called me because you wanted to report this?"_

_"No. I thought you might be interested in the fact that there's at least a score of the bad guys waiting to attack."_

_"How do you know this?"_

_"I've been watching them since you fired me."_

_"I didn't personally fire you. What do you want? I'm not about to offer re-instatement or a job because of a single piece of information."_

_"I'm not looking for money. I...want to help."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two

The jumble of twisted metal and half-melted parts lay on the ground in front of Katrina. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hunched her shoulders as she studied the lifeless form of Frenzy. A storm was gathering, darkening the sky and bringing a cold wind. Her jacket did little to ward off the chill.

"Come on," she whispered, clenching her teeth and straining to feel the tiniest bit of power. Nothing happened, and the girl groaned, resting her forehead against her knees. _It's got to work, it has to._

Katrina rubbed her eyes. She was having a hard time keeping them open. _I'm just too tired._ The girl covered her mouth as she yawned. _Can't sleep yet. Soldiers don't... _Despite Katrina's determination, sleep chose that moment to overcome her shaky defenses and she collapsed on the ground, head pillowed on one arm.

As she slept, a soft blue glow began to cover the girl. It stayed dim, but spread out until it brushed against Frenzy. The power intensified, concentrating on the dead robot. A quick flash lit up the surrounding area for a few hundred feet, then the glow faded out. Metal flowed into its correct shape, gears clicked into place and Frenzy's Spark flickered to life in his chest. He quivered, then jumped to his feet, a little more shaky than usual.

"Hahaha, Frenzynotdead! Alive! What'sthis? Humangirl?" The robot clicked and chattered to himself for a moment, then poked Katrina's arm. "Humandead." A quiet snore startled him, and Frenzy jumped back. "Sleepingnotdead. WhereamI? Barricadehere? Tiredsotired. Humansmartforstupidhuman." Frenzy shook like a dog, then folded into the shape of a cd player and fell silent, resting.

About ten minutes later, the rain started, a sudden downpour that awoke Katrina with a start. For a moment her gaze darted about, searching for anything familiar, then she remembered where she was and sighed, turning her eyes to the heap of scrap metal she had been trying to revive.

There was a cd player sitting there instead.

The girl's mouth dropped open. "It worked?" Her voice was louder than she had meant it to be, and it alerted Frenzy, who sprang to his feet.

"Who'sthere?" he demanded. "Barricade?"

Katrina froze. The robot was small, but still almost as tall standing as she was, and it was holding shurikens. If its name was anything to go by, the creature would throw the sharp disks at the slightest provocation, then attack with whatever other means it had at its disposal.

Frenzy's darting gaze settled on Katrina, and he jumped back. "Humangirlawake. What'sname? Where'sBarricade?"

It took all of her concentration to translate the rapid speech. "I'm Katrina," she said, keeping her voice low. "Barricade should be back soon."

"Humandangerous. Terminate."

The girl inhaled sharply. It was too late to duck the thrown shurikens. She squeezed her eyes shut, every muscle in her body tense, waiting for her death to come.

"Stop." Barricade intercepted the shurikens just in time.

"Barricade!"

The breath Katrina had been holding burst out of her mouth, and she took another, deeper one that shuddered in her chest. _That was too close._

"Humandangerous," the little robot insisted.

Katrina didn't hear Barricade's answer, because the now-recognizable headache returned, along with its voices.

_"We have ta keep searchin'."_

_"The storm..."_

_"I don't care."_

"Jazz?" Katrina cried out. The headache vanished, leaving the last few words vibrating in her head, so clear Katrina would have sworn they'd been spoken aloud.

_No here_.

Katrina forgot about the strange headaches in her delight. "Morse!" The girl snatched her friend up from the ground. "Are you all right?"

The spider nodded its head. _You?_

"I guess so." Katrina rubbed her stomach, which had started to ache. "I'm tired, thirsty and hungry. And wet," she added looking down at her soaked clothes. Her duffel was lying on the ground nearby. The girl didn't bother reaching for it. She'd forgotten to pack any food or water. _Some runaway I turned out to be. No food, no water, kidnapped before I was out of sight of the house._

Barricade turned into the police car and the back door opened. Katrina got in without being told, setting her duffel on the floor. "Where are we going?"

"Stupidhumansalwaysaskingstupidquestions."

The girl shot Frenzy a glare. "I'm not the one who cut my own head off."

"Shut up." Barricade had lost the little patience he had. "Next one to speak is riding on the hood in the rain."

_Think soldier,_ Katrina told herself. _Soldier, soldier, soldier._

"We're going to find you food," Barricade added, after he was sure the silence would last.

The girl opened her mouth, then shut it. She'd been about to thank the Decepticon, but that would violate the no-speaking order. Katrina was already cold enough, and she wasn't going to bet on her chances of staying on the water-slick car roof. Instead she kicked off her sneakers and curled up on the seat. For a second she considered changing out of her wet clothes, but to get food she'd have to go out into the rain again. Just thinking about it made her shiver.

The heater turned on and sent a blast of hot air into the backseat area.

"The leather's going to take forever to dry," Barricade grumbled.

***

Katrina was standing in line, waiting make her purchases at a 20 Items or Less register in the local superstore. A puddle of water was slowly forming on the floor around her. The rain had gotten heavier. Among the things she was buying was a rain coat. It was at the bottom of the hand basket she was carrying. There were apples, boxes of granola bars and water bottles piled on top, also a large beach towel. Barricade had insisted she get something to keep the seat she sat on dry.

In her other hand she held the handle of a large cd player. The greeter at the door had given her a Paid For sticker when Katrina explained she had a phobia about leaving her cd player in the car. The girl had also gotten an odd look, but she was too miserable to notice. Carrying Frenzy around was the last thing she wanted to do, but it was the condition Barricade had made, since he couldn't go inside.

Frenzy hadn't been pleased with the decision, either, especially when Barricade told him that he couldn't kill Katrina if she tried to run. The little robot was supposed to only knock her out.

Since Katrina had her doubts that Frenzy would follow orders by the letter, she hadn't even tried to run. Plus, her stomach was growling in earnest now. _Thank goodness I remembered my wallet_. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the girl wished the cashier would move faster. This was the shortest line in the store, and it was barely moving. Other customers were switching to different lines, but Katrina was loath to do so. There were only two people ahead of her.

Finally it was her turn, and the girl unloaded her basket onto the conveyor belt. The cashier took the basket without a comment, then rang up the purchases. The price was higher than Katrina had expected, but she paid, gathered the bags, and headed for the door.

Before leaving the store Katrina pulled on the rain coat, ignoring the price tags still dangling from the end of one sleeve. She clutched her purchases to her chest and hunched over, trying to keep everything - even Frenzy - dry as she hurried through the pelting rain.

Once inside the police car, Katrina dropped Frenzy on the front seat, then tore open one of the boxes and stuffed a granola bar into her mouth, barely tasting the oats and honey flavor before she swallowed. It took two more granola bars to sate her hunger enough that she could concentrate on other things, like taking off her rain coat, spreading the towel on the seat, and buckling her seat-belt.

Morse scrambled onto the headrest of the driver's seat, then hopped onto Katrina's shoulder. She patted him, then settled back with an apple. Barricade was not exceding the speed limit at the moment, which raised her curiosity. The girl decided to risk a few questions.

"Are we in town? Where are we going?"

"That'sneedtoknowinformationandyoudon'tneed."

Katrina's eyes narrowed.

_She no ask you_, Morse tapped, breaking his record in speed. The girl was barely able to discern the individual letters.

"Be quiet, both of you. If Lord Megatron communicates with me, he could hear you."

Her last encounter with the Decepticon leader ran through her head, and Katrina shuddered. The last thing she wanted was to see him again. She doubted she'd survive the meeting. The girl looked down at her untouched apple, then returned it to the bag it had come from. Granola bars weren't as crunchy when you ate them. Frenzy turned into the cd player and sulked.

_Finally_, Barricade thought. _Peace and quiet._


	23. Chapter 23

**Updates will be slower for a while; I have writer's block and school's trying to eat me and my muse.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. There's been some tough days this past week, but going back and  
rereading your reviews makes me feel happy/appreciated. ^.^**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Simmons offered to help?"_

_"I'm as surprised as you are, Prime. Would you-"_

_"_No_. He's not working with us."_

_"Will you at least talk to him? He's been watching both Decepticons and Autobots."_

_"If he's on another line, switch me over. I'd like to know how he knows what the Decepticons are doing when we can't find any traces."_

_Click. "Simmons, Prime wishes to speak to you."_

_"Put the big guy on."_

_Click. "Have you been tracking Autobots and Decepticons?"_

_"'Tracking' is a strong word."_

_"Explain yourself."_

_"I know there's more than dozen Decepticons within a hundred miles of my current location, and I know there's only five Autobots in the same area, including yourself."_

_"How exactly do you know this?"_

_"Trade secr-"_

_Click. "Are you sure you two don't want to work together?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Wait, you didn't tell me I have to work with them!"_

_"You're not working with us."_

_"Good."_

_"How are you going to help, Simmons?"_

_"I'll think of something that doesn't rely on giant robots."_

_"Let me know when you have an idea."_

_"I will." Click._

_"I'll speak with you soon, Secretary."_

_"All right." Click._

_"Did you get that, Ironhide, Ratchet?"_

_"I don't like it."_

_"Ratchet?"_

_"Simmons was telling what he believes is the truth."_

_"I wish he wasn't. If he's right, we're going to need back-up."_

_"There _is_ no back-up."_

_"I know."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three

Sam and Mikaela did not want to give up searching. Even repeated phone calls from Mrs. Witwicky begging them to call off the hunt were unsuccessful. The local and state police force had been alerted to the kidnapping - though they didn't know who'd done it - but their search had so far led to nothing.

"They aren't going to find her," Bumblebee had said when told that the police were looking. Jazz had agreed, though reluctantly.

They were circling through the outskirts of town for the umpteenth time when Optimus contacted them. _"Simmons has offered his help."_

Sam gaped at the radio. "I didn't hear that right, did you?"

Mikaela shook her head. "I think the transmitter is malfunctioning."

"It's not," Bumblebee said. "_Is this a joke?_" he sent.

"_I'm not in a jokin' mood,"_ Jazz added.

_"I'm serious,_" Optimus protested. "_He contacted the Secretary of Defense, then offered to help. For free_."

Mikaela scowled. "I hope you told him no."

"_I did. Sort of."_

'Sort of' was not a phrase Sam liked to hear from an Autobot. A few weeks ago, before Katrina arrived, Bumblebee had 'sort of' damaged the birdbath when he backed into it. Sam's parents had not been amused when told.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, almost certain he would not like the answer.

"_I refused to let him work with us. The Secretary didn't care if he worked on his own._"

"Why'd he even call the Secretary?" Mikaela folded her arms. "I smell a rat."

"_Katrina went to his house and stole Frenzy's head. I believe she will revive him as well._"

"_What?_" cried Sam, horrified, remembering the first time he'd met Frenzy. The crazy robot had attacked him and Mikaela. Sam had ended up in his boxers, pressed against a fence, before Mikaela chopped Frenzy's head off with a handy electric saw. Frenzy had later died at Hoover Dam, and he could stay dead for all the teens cared.

"Are you saying she's working for the Decepticons?" Mikaela shook her head in denial. "That can't be right."

"_She's working for them, yes. The possibility that she's doing so willingly is low._"

"She wouldn't," insisted Jazz. "They must've threatened her."

Sam frowned. The image of Katrina when she'd first arrived hovered at the front of his mind. Pale, quiet, never meeting anyone's eyes. That had been her defense all her life, but it had started to crack. Where did that leave her? Vulnerable. Defenseless.

"_Not completely defenseless,_" Optimus corrected.

The teen turned red, realizing that he'd spoken aloud.

Mikaela patted his shoulder, then asked, "Not completely?"

"_She does have the AllSpark's power at her command._"

"_She can't control it_," Jazz said.

"_If the situation is dire enough, I think she could_."

"How dire are we talking?" Sam inquired. "Why on Earth would she bring back Megatron? Is there something worse than the world getting destroyed?"

"She's a kid," Mikaela pointed out. "If they threaten to shoot her, she'd do whatever they said."

A mental lightbulb blinked on in Sam's brain. "I bet that stupid spider had something to do with it."

"_If I might add something to this discussion?"_

_"No need to ask, Ratchet."_

_"When you suggested that Katrina stay with the Witwickys, she did not seem pleased with the prospect."_

Sam thought back to the events of the night before. "You think she ran away because she didn't want to stay with us?"

Mikaela nodded slowly. "She did say something on the ride home about not wanting to stay."

Bumblebee had recorded the conversation, as he did all conversations. He mentioned this, and Optimus asked him to play it.

He skipped to a point a few seconds before the girl spoke. Mikaela and Sam were talking, then they were interrupted by Katrina.

_"I...I don't want to stay."_

_"What?" the teens' voices chorused._

_"I just... I've always..." There was a slight pause. "Never mind. It's nothing."_

_"Okay," Sam said, and the original conversation continued as though it had never stopped._

Bumblebee cut off the recording.

"_Your opinion, Ratchet?_" Optimus asked.

"_At first the tone of her voice indicates distress, then it's like she's longing for something. At the end, she sounds almost emotionless, but there's a hint of underlying determination._"

"_You need ta lay off the human novels, Ratchet. Now you're talkin' like one._"

"_Jazz_."

"_Sorry, Optimus."_

"_She said nothing else during the ride?"_

Sam shook his head, although there was no way Ratchet could see him. "I think she fell asleep."

"When we got to the house she said she was going to bed," Mikaela added. "She must have snuck out while we were watching the movie."

"_I apologize, Jazz, but you and Bumblebee need to return to base. It's late, and we must be prepared to fight tomorrow. Megatron won't stay hidden for long_."

"_One more hour?_"

"_No. I want you here and resting in half an hour._" Optimus terminated the link before anyone could argue.

Bumblebee and Jazz made illegal U-turns and headed for the Witwickys' house, not without second thoughts.

"Mikaela and I can search tomorrow," Sam offered.

"Stay inside," Bumblebee ordered. "If Megatron sees you, you're dead."

"What if he destroys the house?"

"He doesn't know where you live," Mikaela said, then paled. "Does he?"

"I don't know."

Bumblebee stopped on the curb. Sam got out, mumbling good night, then trudged up the path to his front door. The Autobots sped off as soon as he was inside. After leaving Mikaela at her house, Bumblebee and Jazz headed for the Autobots' hideout, maintaining radio silence. Neither was in the mood for small talk.

"Sam?" Mrs. Witwicky jumped up from the couch where she and her husband had been sitting, staring blankly at the television for the past two hours. The woman sank back onto the cushions. Her son looked glum, and Katrina was not with him, so they hadn't found her.

"Has the police called?" Sam asked, stopping in the living room doorway.

His parents shook their heads.

"I guess I'll hit the sack."

An hour later, Sam was still staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Claws scratched on his bedroom door, and he hauled himself out of bed and staggered over to the door to let the dog in. Mojo slunk across the floor, tail tucked between his legs. There was something white hanging out of his mouth.

"Did you get in the laundry again?" Sam flicked on his lamp and reached for the object. To his surprise, the dog dropped it immediately instead of doing the usual tug-of-war. It wasn't a handkerchief like the teen had thought, it was a piece of paper, damp with dog drool and covered in teeth marks. Surprisingly, the paper was still folded in thirds, and he could make out the word _Witwickys_ written in pencil.

"Where'd you get this?" Sam asked. There was no reason for the dog to answer, the teen already knew. "You were in Katrina's room, weren't you?"

Mojo made a soft whining noise. Sam frowned at the dog, then slowly unfolded the paper. It was a note, just as he'd expected.

Two minutes later, Sam was pounding on his parents' bedroom door. Mr. Witwicky opened it almost immediately.

"What is it? Did Katrina come back?"

"No. I found this." Sam held up the note for inspection. "She left a note. Mojo took it."

"I thought it was odd she didn't leave a note," Mrs. Witwicky said, plucking the paper from her son's hand. "Turn the light on, Ron, I want to read it." Her husband flicked the switch, then attempted to read over her shoulder. Some of the letters were gone, replaced by small holes where Mojo had chewed the paper, but the short message was understandable.

_Wi w ck s,_

_T a k you for your ho pi al ty, but I can't stay any l ng r. M rse is co i g w th me. Please say g odb e to Ja z a d the o h rs f r us. I'll nev r f rg t yo r k ndn ss._

_Katrina_

"That's it?" Mrs. Witwicky exclaimed. "She didn't even say why she left."

"I think we better turn this over to the police in the morning," Mr. Witwicky said.

"I'm going to contact Bumblebee." The teen started for the front door, remembered that his car wasn't outside anymore, and dashed back to his room.

"Wait until morning, Sam," his mother called after him. "Okay?"

Sam hesitated, already in mid-dial, then snapped his cellphone shut. She was right. The Autobots were resting. He could talk to them in the morning.


	24. Chapter 24

**Discovered this morning that I never actually uploaded the corrected version  
of Chapter Seven (where the bikes manage to turn into the car). How that mistake  
managed to slip past and how I managed to forget to correct it, I don't know,  
but it's corrected now, and I hope never make such a big mistake again.**

**That said, I also hope Katrina's note came out all right in the last chapter. Doc edit  
kept eating my spaces, so I had to make do with one or two letters missing here  
or there, contrary to my original plan. Maybe I should've substituted dashes or  
asterisks... Wish that had occurred to me before I submitted the chapter. Oh, well.**

**Thanks for your reviews, they are always welcome! Please don't hesitate to  
point out flaws, it might take me a while, but I'll try to fix them.**

**Well, sorry for being in such a talkative mood today. I'll let you read now. :)**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"This is a 911 emergency call center. How may we be of assistance?"_

_"The high school just exploded! There's fire all over the building."_

_"Please give me the address and I will alert the local fire department."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

_Sam was running through the crowded streets, screams and crashes and gunfire coming from all directions. Once inside the building, his legs almost collapsed under him at the sight of all the stairs he'd have to climb._

_"I smell you, boy!"_

_Fear spurring him on, the teen dashed up the stairs, clutching the AllSpark to his chest. His lungs burned but he didn't dare slow down; the Decepticon was right behind._

"_Sam!" That was his mother's voice. What was she doing in Mission City?_

_"Sam!"_

Jerking awake, Sam panted for breath, eyes darting around his room, searching for any sign of Megatron. Nothing but jumbled piles of clothing and other belongings. The teen took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. His skin was covered in sweat, like he'd run that harrowing course again. _Just a nightmare, that's all it was..._

"_Sam!_" His mother's insistent cry came again. Sam dashed downstairs, fearing the worst.

His parents were in the living room, staring in horror at the television screen. The local reporter was standing in front of a heap of smoking rubble. Several crews of firemen were rushing around in the background, spraying water, keeping the blaze under control.

Sam frowned. _That's weird, the tree she's standing next to looks like the one at the corner where the... That's the high school!_

The reporter was talking into her mike. "_...not sure what happened here. Around eight this morning, a neighbor called 911. The firefighters were on the scene in minutes, but they were too late._" The camera panned the destruction, then returned to the reporter. "_Police will begin their investigation as soon as the fire is put out. They suspect arson. The police chief has agreed to an interview, which will be right after this break._"

A commercial came on, and Mr. Witwicky muted the sound.

"Thank goodness it's summer," Mrs. Witwicky said, eyes wide. "If it had been autumn... Sam, _you_ could have been in that place!"

Sam was not listening. He was staring intently at the television screen, frowning as he pieced together the situation. It took more than your average arsonist to destroy a high school that big. "Megatron."

"What?"

"It's Megatron, Mom. He bombed it or shot a missile or something. I've gotta call Mikaela." _And the Autobots_.

"You're not leaving this house!" Mr. Witwicky called after him. "Understand?"

"Yeah, okay." Sam grabbed his cellphone, hit speed dial and listened to it ring. "Pick up, pick up, pi-"

"_Sam! Did you see the news?_"

"Yeah."

"_You thinking what I'm thinking?_"

"Megatron."

"_We need to make sure the Autobots know._"

"SAM!" The shriek was even more urgent this time.

"_Was that your mom?_"

The teen almost fell running down the stairs again. "Mom?" Sam froze, hearing the voice from his recent nightmare.

"..._school is only the beginning. If you do not come out of hiding..._" Megatron's face filled the television screen. Mrs. Witwicky's mouth had fallen open. Both she and her husband looked pale. Seeing Bumblebee a few times had not prepared them for the horrifying features of the Decepticon leader.

"Mikaela, tv!" Sam moved between the screen and his parents, wavering between rage and fear as the Decepticon leader continued the talk.

"..._I will destroy this town, then choose my next target. You have two days to decide, Prime._" Megatron's face disappeared, and Sam collapsed on the floor in relief. The reporter had a deer-in-the-headlights look, staring out the screen, her mouth opening and closing without a word. Someone decided to cut to a commercial, and Sam pushed the Power button.

"_Oh my god_," Mikaela breathed. "_We've got to do something, Sam._"

"Head for the hide-out. I'll meet you there. They can't let Optimus go on his own."

"_I'll pick you up. Bumblebee's at the hide-out, remember?_"

"All right. Hurry." Sam stuffed his cellphone into his pocket and ran to get dressed.

The rev of a motorcycle engine came from the street three minutes later, and Sam raced outside, ignoring his parents' shouts.

"Sam, don't leave the house!"

"Samuel James Witwicky, get back here this minute!"

"I'll ground you!"

"Sorry, have to go save the world," Sam yelled back, hopping onto the back of Mikaela's motorcycle. "Go!"

Mikaela tore off at full throttle, leaving scorch marks on the pavement.

***

A distant boom startled Morse awake. The spider scuttled onto Katrina's shoulder, his two front legs turning into mini-cannons. The girl stirred, and the cannons vanished.

"What was that?" Katrina murmured sleepily. "Did someone blow something up in Chemicals again?"

"Shut up, human. Megatron is showing the world what he can do."

The girl jolted awake, then scowled. She'd been dreaming of her old life, which always put her in a bad mood, and she was not in the mood for vague explanations. "What's that mean?"

"He blew up the local high school."

_Sam and Mikaela are in high school_... Katrina tensed, then relaxed with a sigh of relief. _It's summer. School won't start for a couple of months._ She smirked._I bet Megatron didn't know that._

"How's that supposed to be a global demonstration?"

"Megatron is transmitting from the local television station. The news will spread fast."

_No good_, Morse tapped, huddling against the girl's neck.

"Shall I play the transmission?" Barricade didn't wait for a reply. Megatron's voice came out of the radio speakers.

"_The battle isn't over. That school is only the beginning. If you do not come out of hiding and face me, I will destroy this town, then choose my next target. You have two days to decide, Prime._"

Katrina felt the blood drain from her face. "No. _No_. Optimus can't face him alone, that's suicide..." Her voice trailed off. _But he will, won't he?_ The girl closed her eyes against the welling tears. _This is all my fault._

"Optimus doesn't want any humans harmed." The Decepticon sounded smug. "He'll gladly sacrifice himself."

"Megatron won't keep his word, though." The girl frowned. "Megatron calls Optimus 'Prime'. Why do you call him by his first name?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

The cd player changed shape. "Nosynosynosyhuman," Frenzy muttered. "BarricadewasanAutobot."

"_What?_" Of all the explanations she might have expected, that was not one that had occurred to her.

"For a very short time," Barricade snapped.

"Why did-"

"No more questions, human. Frenzy..."

The robot realized he'd made a mistake and, muttering to himself, turned back into a cd player.

Katrina's stomach chose that moment to growl, and she hunted out a granola bar. As she ate it, the girl realized her clothes were dry.

"Thanks," she said, through a mouthful of food. _Bad manners_, she thought, not really caring at the moment.

"For what?" Barricade growled.

"Never mind." Katrina rolled her eyes. _Note to self: politeness and gratitude are pointless when it comes to Decepticons_.

Morse made a soft clicking noise that the girl took for laughter, and she reached up her free hand to pat the little spider's head.

"May I ask one question?"

"I said-"

"It's not about your past," Katrina hastened to add. "I just wanted to know whether there's a gas station nearby."

"I don't run on _gas_." Barricade said the word like it was a disease.

"They usually have a bathroom," the girl mumbled, her face reddening.

The Decepticon's sharp reply was in a different language, and Katrina was thankful for that small mercy. Judging by the tone, it was something very, _very_ rude.


	25. Chapter 25

**Apologies for not updating for so long.  
To say my life has become crazy would be an understatement.**

**Nice long chapter today, and more on the way soon!**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_"Mr. Secretary, we have a coded transmission requesting your attention."_

_"Who is it?"_

_"He calls himself Prime Suspect."_

_"I'll take it. Private line, please."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Prime Suspect? Your humor grows worse."_

_"My apologies, Secretary. Jazz made the call, then transferred it to me. However, I fear there is a chance his joke could become truth."_

_"The press gave up on your case months ago. They're not going to resurrect old news."_

_"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Secretary. At least seventy stations across America have already started to broadcast clips from last summer, and Megatron's transmission is spreading like wildfire."_

_"I can't shut down the television stations, Prime."_

_"I know. That's not why I'm calling. We need back-up badly."_

_"What do you want me to do? The government's trying to pass this off as a joke played by some teens in California. My hands are tied here."_

_"I understand... But we really need back-up."_

_"Hold on, I have an idea. Captain Lennox is on vacation. Let me contact him. He might offer to help, but it's his decision. I can send you volunteers, not enlisted soldiers."_

_"Understood. Thank you, Secretary."_

_"Any luck with the search?"_

_"No. Sam found a note Katrina left - the dog had taken it. It contained nothing of importance. I had to call off the search. We have to prepare for battle."_

_"I'll let you know Captain Lennox's decision."_

_"Don't pressure him, but I hope he chooses to help, for all our sakes."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

Katrina's stomach rumbled as she walked out of the gas station's bathroom. On a whim the girl snatched two bags of chips and a few chocolate bars. There was no line, and the cashier was swift. A minute later Katrina left the building, half a chocolate bar melting in her mouth.

_Never shop on an empty stomach_, she thought, but a smile spread across her face. It was a beautiful day, enough to make one forget the storms of the night before. Katrina wished she could spend more time in the sunlight. She settled for walking slowly toward the police car.

Out the corner of her eye the girl caught a glimpse of yellow, some car driving up the road. She yelped and dashed the rest of the way across the parking lot. The yellow car drove past. There were no racing stripes and the driver was an older man. Katrina collapsed in the police car's backseat, still panting despite the false alarm, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Morse?" she asked, stuffing the rest of her chocolate bar into her mouth. Her other purchases went into one of the plastic bags.

_Wrong?_ the spider clicked, then hopped into her lap.

"Nothing, just wanted to know where you were."

Morse gave his friend a suspicious look. Her heartbeat was faster than normal, she was breathing hard, and trembling. She hadn't run far, so something must have scared her.

"What was nothing?" Barricade demanded, pushing the 45mph speed limit before he even reached the road. If the human had stirred up trouble, he didn't want to get involved.

"I thought I saw someone I knew, but it wasn't them." _And for a moment I was scared it would be them_, she added silently, frowning. She shoved that thought away and focused on the current problem troubling her, whether Optimus Prime would face Megatron or not._ I've got to get back and help the others stop him, but that's going to require cooperation from Barricade._ Katrina gritted her teeth. _Easier said then done. How shall I start? Do Decepticons feel guilt? I wonder..._

"Were you happy when Megatron destroyed the high school?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"What?"

_Okay, I fail at casual._ "Did you know the school was empty?"

"What difference does that make?"

"_Did_ you?"

"Yes."

"Did Megatron?"

"I doubt it. He doesn't-"

"If he'd destroyed the school during a school day, would you have approved?"

Morse looked up at his friend, dismayed. What on Earth was she trying to do? The spider curled into a tiny ball, hoping she didn't get them both blasted.

"What difference would it make? I'm-" -_loyal to Megatron_, was what Barricade had been about to say, but he never got a chance. Another police cruiser came out of nowhere and shoved him into the breakdown lane.

Katrina cried out, expecting the side of the car to cave in, but whatever the Decepticon was made of was tougher than a normal car. Barricade stepped on the gas, heading out of town as fast as he could. Megatron had given strict orders not to fight in town until further notice, and if that wasn't an Autobot tailgating him, Barricade would paint himself bright orange.

"What's going on?" the human asked, a foolish question Barricade did not have the time to answer. Frenzy replied instead.

"We'rebeingattacked."

"By who?" Katrina looked out the rear window, but the other car's headlights were on high beam and she couldn't see anything. _Please don't let it be Jazz_.

"I have to transform to fight," Barricade said, making a sharp left turn. "When your door opens, get out and hide. _Don't_run. The Autobot might take you for a Decepticon and shoot."

The girl swallowed hard. "Understood."

Barricade managed to gain a few hundred feet on his pursuer, then turned off the road and stopped behind a pile of boulders, opening the back door. Katrina had barely jumped out when the door slammed shut and the Decepticon morphed.

Clutching Morse to her chest, Katrina leaned her back against the nearest rock and scanned the surrounding area. It was mostly flat, not much use for hiding, and she didn't think the boulders were the safest place to hide. Too easy for a stray shot to trigger a collapse. A loud boom made the girl hunch her shoulders and stagger as the ground shook. Katrina wished she could cover her ears, but she was holding Morse with both hands.

_Was that a cannon?_The girl hesitated, then stuffed the spider into her jacket pocket and snuck around the boulder pile. She didn't really want to see the fight, but if fire came her way, she wanted to know ahead of time.

Sunlight was glaring off both robots - it was hard to tell which one was Barricade. Katrina shaded her eyes, but something glowing and sizzling came her way and she had to duck. Cold metal wrapped around her left arm and dragged her roughly behind the boulders, which did offer a little protection, however precarious.

"Barricadesaidstayoutofsight."

"What if they shoot this way?" protested Katrina, trying to pull away. Frenzy's tight grip was cutting off circulation to her lower arm.

"Iwillknow. BarricadesaidImustkeepyoufromharm."

"All right, I'll stay put," the girl grumbled. "Let me go." The robot released her, and she flexed her fingers. They tingled as blood began flowing.

Thuds, crashes and explosive noises were coming from the other side of the boulders. Katrina shuddered. It sounded like two tanks were shooting at each other. Morse stuck his head out of her pocket and she pushed him back. "Stay in there. I don't want you to fall out."

The spider didn't reply. Katrina sank into a crouch, unwilling to stand for any longer. _How long is the fight going to last? Hours?_

The boulder pile exploded. Frenzy yanked Katrina to one side, then lost his grip. Ears ringing, the girl ducked and dove into a forward roll, praying Morse was still in her pocket. She came up from the roll, stumbled, and fell against the police car.

"Help," she gasped.

A door opened and she threw herself inside, landing on the floor on her hands and knees. A cd player thudded against the seat, the door slammed shut, then sudden acceleration sent Katrina to the floor from her kneeling position.

"Uh-oh," Frenzy said.

The girl's heartbeat sped up again. "Uh-oh?" she asked, sitting down. The seat felt different, and the dashboard had changed its appearance. "Uh-oh," she repeated, a chill running down her spine. "Barricade?"

"Are you Decepticons?" The cold voice coming from the speakers was not Barricade's.

Katrina gulped and snatched up the cd player, figuring it would be safer if she held onto Frenzy. "No. I'm a human. This is Frenzy. He's-"

"Barricade's sidekick, thus a Decepticon. Why are you with them?"

"I was kidnapped."

"Who is the sparkling in your pocket?"

_What's a sparkling? Morse? Must be._ "Morse. He's my friend."

"All right. Set Frenzy down."

Katrina tightened her grip on the cd player. _I'm surprised he hasn't changed yet._ "Are you going to harm him?"

"Not at the moment."

"Behave," the girl warned Frenzy, setting on the middle seat. Morse crawled out of her pocket, then up her arm onto her shoulder. Frenzy transformed, both hands switching to guns.

"Frenzy, _no_." Katrina put as much authority as she could into her voice. To her surprise, the robot collapsed into cd player shape.

"Why were you kidnapped?"

"Whose side are you on?" Katrina retorted. She sat back, arms folded. "Autobots or Decepticons?"

"My leader is Optimus Prime. Seat-belt."

The girl buckled her seat-belt, then glanced out the back window. No sign of the Decepticon police car, and everything was flying past at a dizzying rate. She resisted the urge to remark about a police car breaking the law. "Where's Barricade?"

"Lost him. Answer my question."

Katrina frowned, a thought clicking into place._If Optimus is his leader, then he's an Autobot, but that doesn't make sense._"Where'd you come from? Optimus said there were only five Autobots on Earth. So did Simmons."

"I landed a few days ago, and haven't contacted anyone yet. Do you know where the base is?"

"Yes." The girl's frown deepened and she glanced at the cd player. "But..."

Morse made a soft humming sound. _Co-ord_, he tapped for Katrina's benefit. Frenzy made a muttering noise, and Katrina guessed that Morse had transmitted in a way the other robot couldn't hear.

"Thank you." The police car turned right. "You have five minutes to explain why the Decepticons kidnapped you."

Katrina decided to be blunt. "I have the AllSpark's powers. The Decepticons forced me to bring Megatron back."

The police car swerved, then steadied. "A human cannot contain the power of the AllSpark. Tell me the truth."

The girl took a deep breath. "It is the truth. Let me explain..."

"I'm not sure a Decepticon should hear this. Perhaps we should leave him behind."

There was nothing but dirt and rocks for miles around. Katrina shook her head. _What if he can't contact Barricade?_ She imagined Morse all alone in the desert, and shuddered. _Decepticon or not, it wouldn't be fair._"He stays with me until I can get him back to Barricade. I don't want to risk him getting-" what was that word Barricade had used before? "-offlined, or Barricade'll just kidnap me and make me bring Frenzy back again."

"Again? I think you better explain everything now."


	26. Chapter 26

**Wow, has it really been a week since I last updated?  
Doesn't feel like it...**

**As always, thanks very much for your kind reviews and for just reading. ^.^**

**Enjoy!**

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_"Starscream just informed me that the human girl is still alive, Barricade."_

_"I can explain-"_

_"No. You, Starscream and Thundercracker are going to retrieve the human. She's at the Autobots' base. The power may prove useful. We shall see."_

_"Yes, Lord Megatron."_

_"Do not fail to follow orders this time, Barricade."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six

"You're just puttin' yourself in needless danger, Optimus."

Optimus shook his head, his voice firm. "I'm going."

"You can't!" Sam protested. "It's a trap."

"Sam's right," Mikaela agreed, arms folded. Both teens and the other Autobots were glaring at Optimus. The stalemate had already lasted an hour, with the Autobot leader refusing to change his mind and the others refusing to let him leave the base.

"At least consider the matter first," said Ratchet.

"I have," Optimus told his medical officer before turning to the humans. "The others have already suggested that, and the possibility-"

"Is high, of course," put in an unfamiliar voice.

Sam and Mikaela turned. Ironhide's cannons emitted a soft hum as they charged. Bumblebee picked up the humans and Jazz moved to shield them.

"Guns down, Ironhide," Optimus ordered, having recognized the voice. "Welcome to Earth, Prowl. It's good to have you back."

"A lot has happened during my absence," remarked the Autobot, halting. "You've enlisted the aid of humans, destroyed the AllSpark, and found its powers again."

"How'd you know about that?" Sam asked, frowning and taking a step closer to Mikaela, wary of the newcomer. Prowl's colors reminded him of Barricade.

"I told him." Katrina and the little creature sitting on her shoulder waved at the teens and Autobots, who stared back, dumbfounded at the sight of the girl who stepped into view from behind Prowl, carrying - of all things - a blue cd player.

"Katrina!" Jazz exclaimed, the first to recover from speechless surprise. "You escaped the 'Cons!"

"By pure luck," the girl replied, sitting on a nearby rock, too weary to stand any longer. It had been a long day. "Prowl attacked Barricade and I got into the wrong police car. I mean, it was the right police car, just not the one I was expecting." She placed the cd player by her feet and rubbed her eyes, fighting back sleep.

Bumblebee set the teens down and they ran over. Mikaela gave the younger girl a hug, and Sam followed suit, albeit a little awkwardly.

"Glad you're safe," he said. "When Megatron came back we thought-"

"That I was working for the Decepticons?" Katrina shook her head. "I'm not, and I'm sorry for bringing him back." Tears spilled from her eyes. "They were going to kill Morse, and I _couldn't_ let them..."

Mikaela sat down next to Katrina and wrapped her arms around the girl, who was in obvious need for comfort. Katrina buried her face in the teen's shoulder, sobbing.

"I knew that spider had something to do with it," muttered Sam. He quailed under the scorching look Mikaela sent him. "Not that it matters."

Morse was pressed against Katrina's neck, shaking. Small, random clicks that didn't translate to anything came from his mouth now and then.

"We're just glad you're back," Mikaela whispered. "Don't worry, we aren't angry."

Katrina pulled away from Mikaela and dried her tears with her jacket sleeve. "I know what Megatron said on television this morning, Optimus, but you can't fight him alone."

"Do you have a better idea? If I don't..."

"Why don't you _all_ fight?"

"We're outnumbered, three to one at best. It would be better if-"

"That's what you keep saying, Prime," Ironhide interrupted. "It would _not_ be better if we 'only' lost our leader. We can take them, with or without help..."

While the Autobots renewed their argument, Sam turned his attention to the cd player. "Where did you get that?"

Katrina picked the object up and set it in her lap before answering. "This is Frenzy," she said, with a wary glance at the Autobots, who were still deep in their debate, which Prowl had joined. Had he told Optimus about Frenzy yet? "He's Barricade's sidekick."

"Are you crazy?" Sam's voice rose in panic. "That's a _Decepticon_, Katrina!"

The girl shrugged. "I don't care. He protected me during the fight under orders, then got confused like I did. I promised I'd get him back to Barricade."

Sam's jaw dropped. "You _are_ crazy. Ironhide!"

"What, Sam?"

Mikaela backed away as the cd player shifted shape, jumping down from the rock.

"Shoot it!" Sam shouted, jumping away from the boulder.

"No," Katrina snapped as Frenzy pointed a gun at Sam.

"Stupidhumandeservestodie." Another gun appeared and was pointed at Mikaela. "Irememberyoucuttingoffmyhead."

"Frenzy, stop it!"

Morse added his own objections in a quick transmission.

"You'renextannoyinginsect," Frenzy promised.

Katrina heard the warning hum and moved between the Decepticon and Ironhide's glowing cannons. "Frenzy, _no_. You're going to get killed, and I'm notbringing you back. What would Barricade say?"

The robot growled, then turned into the cd player, which the girl scooped up before any of the Autobots could attempt to shoot it.

"He won't harm you if you don't threaten him," she insisted, taking a step back when Ironhide's cannons moved to focus on the girl.

"Ironhide."

One word from his leader, and the weapons specialist powered down his weapons without argument.

"He won't harm you," Katrina repeated, tightening her grip on the cd player. "I promise."

Sam opened his mouth, but Mikaela closed it with a swift elbow in his ribs.

"She has guts, you have to admit," she muttered.

"You keep it under control, or else," warned Ironhide.

"I'm not sure bringing a Decepticon here was a good idea, Prowl."

"Sorry, Prime."

"It's not his fault," Katrina said quickly. "I made him bring Frenzy along."

"Why did you wish to bring him?"

"I...I didn't want to leave him in the middle of nowhere, since it's my fault he isn't with Barricade." The girl hunched her shoulders and turned her gaze to the ground. _I bet they're angry with me now_, she thought, clenching her teeth. _Too bad. No one deserves to be left alone, not even a stupid little enemy robot._

Ironhide muttered something that Katrina didn't catch.

In the following silence, Sam cocked his head, then glanced at the sky. An odd noise was growing louder with each second. "Anyone hear that?"

Everyone followed his gaze.

"Two jets, headed this way," Ironhide replied, his cannons humming again.

"Not human," said Ratchet. "No flights scheduled to go by for another three hours."

"It's Starscream, then, and another."

"Bumblebee, Jazz, protect the humans," Optimus ordered.

Before the two Autobots could move, Sam grabbed Mikaela's hand and Katrina's arm. "You guys take care of them, we'll hide! Come on, come on..."

Katrina ran with the two teens toward a nearby building. _I hope they know what they're doing._

An engine revved loudly. "Barricade!" Frenzy transformed and Katrina found herself holding one of his arms instead of a cd player handle. "Letgostupidhuman..."

Her hand opened before she could tell it not to. "Careful!" the girl shouted after the robot as he raced away.

Sam and Mikaela gave her 'I can't believe you said that' looks, then dove in unison as something whistled by overhead.

"Stay down," Sam hissed, crawling behind a big pile of planks. The girls followed cautiously.

"What's your plan?" Katrina asked, trying not to shake. It was difficult to hold still, fatigue and fear were both trying to make her tremble.

"Plan? Why would we need a plan?" Sam ducked automatically at the sound of cannon fire, although it was headed in their direction.

"We're going to hide here until someone finds us or blows this wood to bits?"

"Our plan is not get killed, okay? No hero stuff."

"Find the girl!"

Katrina shuddered, recognizing Starscream's voice. "How'd they find out I'm still alive?"

"Huh?" Sam was confused. "What're you talking about?"

"Barricade told Megatron I'm dead. Don't ask, I don't know why." The girl's hands clenched into fists as she made a swift decision. "I'm going to move to the other side of the building, or they'll find you when they find me."

"Don't you mean 'if'?" Sam had to yell over the sounds from the fight.

Katrina shook her head. "I bet they're supposed to find me and bring me back or kill me. Stay here."

Sam grabbed her arm. "You're _not_ going out into the open, it's too dangerous."

"Look, if I go out there, maybe they'll stop fighting. The Autobots can't afford to lose anyone, not with the stakes so high as they are." Katrina flinched as something exploded on the other side of the wall behind them. Her face was white but set in determination. "Take care of Morse, will you?" She handed him the spider, then pulled out of his grasp, jumped to her feet and ran before Mikaela, Sam or Morse could react.

Sam moved to go after Katrina, but Morse began to struggle in the teen's grip and it was all he could do to hold onto the little creature. Mikaela started to stand, but Sam shook his head.

"No use going after her, she'll just let herself get caught sooner."

"We have to do something!"

"I know, I know... Wait, I've got an idea." He looked down at the spider. "Uh, Morse, you need to turn into a phone. Now. And dial Simmons's number."

The spider shook its head and continued squirming in his hands.

"What kind of an idea is that?" Mikaela snapped, trying to catch a glimpse of Katrina while staying undercover.

"I know what I'm doing, trust me," Sam said. "Simmons wanted to help, remember? Well, now's his chance."

"How exactly is he supposed to help?"

"I don't know, but Katrina's only going to put herself in more danger if we follow her." Frustrated, Sam tightened his grip on the spider and gave it a good shake. "Come on, Morse, this is our only chance to help Katrina."

The spider stopped moving, then collapsed into a phone that immediately started to ring.

"Good work," Mikaela whispered as Sam answered the phone, then returned to her covert searching.

"_It's about time, I've been trying to contact you since you left my house._"

"Simmons? This is Sam, Sam Witwicky. We need some help."

The man's reply was lost in a loud explosion.

"Could you repeat that?"

"_What's going on?_"

"I have Morse, Katrina's trying to stop the fight, some Decepticons attacked the Autobots, we need help." Not exactly a chronological rendering of the events, but Simmons was able to piece it together.

"_All right, I'm on my way. Need a diversion or back-up?_"

"Both. Mikaela has a bike, if we can grab Katrina we can run, but the Decepticons are looking for Katrina and she's not making it very difficult. I'm not sure how many bad guys are here, but there's at least three, and the Autobots really can't afford to lose anyone."

"I'm on my way. Keep talking. Where's the kid now?"

"I don't know. She ran off. Hurry, would you?"

"If I get pulled over for speeding I'm not going to be much help."

A stray burst of fire chose that moment to strike the roof of the building they were in. Sam and Mikaela looked up at the groaning rafters, then dashed for the back door. They collapsed on the grass outside as the building folded in on itself.

"Sam, look out!" Mikaela screamed. Shattered boards were falling like rain around them, and one struck Sam on the head. His eyes rolled up, then shut and he went limp. Mikaela groaned and grabbed the cell phone.

"Sam just got knocked out," Mikaela gasped into the mouthpiece. She could see the battle now, the rubble did little to block her view. The two jets had transformed and were almost as big as Optimus. A smaller Decepticon she recognized as Barricade was sneaking around, staying clear of the fight. Hunting for Katrina, the teen guessed.

Optimus and Prowl were hammering Starscream while the others faced off with Thundercracker. It was obvious the Autobots were going to win, but the two Decepticons continued to fight in an almost reckless fashion.

"It's a diversion," Mikaela gasped, her grip on Morse tightening. "They're giving Barricade time to find Katrina... Simmons, _hurry up!_"


	27. Chapter 27

**Well, this is the last chapter of the month. October went by so fast!  
The next few days are going to be hectic for me.  
NaNoWriMo approaches!  
****As does Halloween!  
I'm going to be a vampire this year.**

**Writing in _Keeping_ _Secrets_ will be slower during November, for two reasons.  
First - My NaNovel will take over my life.  
Second - I no longer have a back-up of chapters. In fact, I haven't written a word past this chapter yet.  
****Updates will almost certainly be fewer and farther apart due to this and NaNo. Sorry. :(**

**As a side note, I had a hard time writing this chapter.  
I'm not sure why, but I hope it's not the first sign of the dreaded writer's block.  
If it seems a little strained at points, that's where I was having trouble...**

**Thanks for reading, and a special**** thanks to everyone who's reviewed. You really cheer me up on bad days. ^.^**

**Enjoy!**

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_"You can't be serious. This is a viable threat to the U.S. and you want to blame it on a few teenagers and a non-existent arsonist?"_

_"They've already 'confessed', Keller. No need to get riled up. As far as the public is concerned, this was all a joke that went a little too far."_

_"It's not a joke, Brown. People are going to die if we don't do something."_

_"Steps will be taken to ensure the least impact on lives, but the military can't be everywhere at once, and the situation overseas is much more urgent...where are you going?"_

_"To do something other than sit around, drink coffee and lie to the people we're supposed to protect." SLAM!_

_Click. "Mr. Secretary? There's a call on hold for you. They said it was urgent."_

_"Thank you, secure line, please." Click. "Good afternoon-"_

_"You're next." Click._

_Click. "Did you get a name for that call?"_

_"No, sir. Do you want me to trace it?"_

_"No. I have a feeling that you would be wasting your time. Call Captain Lennox, I need to speak to him immediately."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Seven

Simmons burned rubber as he hit the brakes of his Buick. He shoved the gear shift to Park, ignoring the grinding sound that came from the engine. A smoke bomb in each hand, the man jumped out. He hurled the bombs at the ground, then dashed through the smoke screen to the spot where the two teens were hiding.

"Targets?" he demanded, crouching on the grass. Broken glass crunched under the thick soles of his combat boots when he shifted position, reaching for more smoke bombs attached to his belt.

"The ones with red eyes," replied Mikaela, indicating the three Decepticons. A slight wind had already thinned the smoke, giving them an almost clear view of the battle. "Sam and I'll find Katrina and get out of here."

"My head," Sam groaned, sitting up. He touched the throbbing lump on his head and winced. "I feel like a roof fell on me."

Mikaela breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, you're awake. Time to find Katrina."

Simmons passed her a smoke bomb. "Added distraction," he explained. "Explodes on impact. Get moving." Staying undercover, he headed toward the battle.

"My plan worked?" Sam exclaimed, sounding astonished.

"Yeah, it did." Mikaela dragged her boyfriend to his feet with the hand not holding Morse. "Don't get a swelled head."

Sam grimaced. "I think I already did. It's not what it's cracked up to be."

***

Coughing, Katrina rubbed watery eyes and ran for her next hiding spot, behind a pile of metal barrels. She wasn't sure where the smoke had come from, or which side it was supposed to aid. It wasn't helping her in the least. Keeping out of sight while dodging bullets - or whatever those whistling things were - was hard enough without the added hindrance of smoke.

_Maybe this is a bad idea._Wiping her face on her sleeve, the girl tried to plan her next move. She felt reluctant to reveal herself; despite her earlier pretense, Katrina was terrified that the Decepticons might have been ordered to kill her. _I don't want to die_.

Something struck the barrels, and they started falling. Katrina dodged and headed for the next spot, a tiny alleyway between two brick buildings, trying to keep an eye on the battle taking place barely a hundred feet away. Distracted as she was, the girl failed to see another problem before it was too late. Loud barking came from the end of the alley and Katrina skidded to a stop, just out of reach of the snapping rottweilers who strained against their chains.

Without meaning to, the girl screamed, then dashed back the way she'd come. Fear almost froze her when she heard a cracking sound - the dogs had pulled their chains loose. Paws scampered across the ground, eating up the distance between the dogs and Katrina, who fled, not caring where she was headed, as long as it was away from the rottweilers.

A small missile, glowing red-hot, zipped past in front of the girl, who swerved, only to stumble over a rock and collapse on the ground. She scrambled to her feet, but the lead dog had gotten close enough and it pounced, knocking Katrina down. Claws sunk into her skin and teeth clicked together next to her ear. Katrina shrieked and rolled, trying to dislodge her attacker, then the second dog caught up and came at her face.

Before either animal could bite the girl, something barreled into them at a high speed, knocking the wind from their lungs and throwing them several yards. Cold metal closed around Katrina's arm and she looked up to discover her rescuer was Frenzy.

"Barricadesayscomequick," he said in his rapid-fire speech, and the girl staggered to her feet, wincing. Her back felt like it was on fire, but she allowed the Decepticon to drag her along. The dogs were already getting to their feet. Katrina quickened her step, not wanting to get attacked again. To her surprise, the rottweilers turned and ran away, yelping.

"Get the girl!"

Katrina flinched; Starscream must have noticed her rescue. The ground exploded nearby. _Are they shooting at me?_

"Gogogo!" Frenzy gave her a shove forward. She stumbled, caught herself and ran, risking a single glance back. The little Decepticon was throwing small silver discs at the dogs while dodging fire from Ironhide's cannons. In the split second glimpse Katrina saw both canines go down, blood spurting from chest wounds. Shuddering, the girl turned her gaze to the ground ahead, avoiding rocks and scattered bricks. Dirt and grass sprayed across her face and she began to zigzag, making herself as difficult a target as possible. Pure instinct drove her on while her mind tried to sort out and make sense of the situation.

Frenzy had saved her from the dogs, but Starscream or one of the other Decepticons was firing at her, which meant their orders must be to kill. _Frenzy wouldn't have saved me unless Barricade told him to, so they're both disobeying Megatron. Because of me? No, that can't be it. What's going on?_

Despite her confusion, Katrina felt relieved when she saw the police car hiding behind a building. She forced a last burst of speed from her aching legs. The left rear door opened and she sank onto the back seat, too exhausted to even buckle the seat-belt. The front passenger door opened as her door closed, and Frenzy jumped in, more jittery than usual.

"Starscreamisveryverymad. Gogogo!"

The door slapped, then acceleration pressed Katrina into the corner made by her seat and door. She forced her hands to move, find the seat-belt and click it in place. A second later, she was thrown in the opposite direction when Barricade made a ninety-degree left turn. The seat-belt locked, digging into her shoulder. Something screamed by overhead and the girl shuddered, staring at the car roof as if she could see through it. Her eardrums throbbed from the sonic boom - one or both of the other Decepticons had shifted into jet form and come after Barricade.

"Thiswasabadidea," Frenzy muttered, words nearly lost under the screech of tires.

_I actually agree with you_, Katrina thought as she closed her eyes and covered her mouth. Each turn Barricade made was sharper than that last. The girl tried not to think about the last meal she'd eaten. It wanted come out the same way it had gone in.

***

"They got her." Sam turned and kicked a brick, which shot across the grass to clang off the side of a barrel. A string of four letter words flowed from his mouth, not all aimed at the Decepticons. His foot felt like he'd broken a few toes.

Back in spider form, a whimpering Morse scurried up Mikaela's arm and nestled against her neck. The teen grimaced, then sighed and gave the little creature a pat on the head.

"Not your fault," she mumbled, speaking as much to herself as to the others, "and if they had wanted to kill Katrina, they would've done it immediately, right? They must still want her alive."

"I hope you're right," Sam sighed, looking up as the Autobots approached, all looking battered from the fight.

"So do we all," Optimus added - his keen hearing had caught the conversation.

"Starscream was shootin' at Katrina, I saw him!" insisted Jazz. "She's in danger!"

"Perhaps it was a herding tactic to get her near Barricade."

"The odds against that scenario are high, Ironhide."

"I don't think they were working together at the end," Bumblebee said.

"Explain," Optimus asked.

"At the end, when the Decepticons were leaving, it looked like the Seekers were chasing Barricade..." Bumblebee trailed off, embarrassed. "Maybe it was just my imagination."

"No, I think you've got something." Simmons had approached and was now waving a small grey box in the air. "See this? I call it my NBET."

"En-bet?" Sam repeated. "What's that mean?"

"Spelled N-B-E-T, stands for non-biological extraterrestrial tracker. It's showing me some really strange data which seems to confirm his-" Simmons gestured toward Bumblebee "-idea."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Let me see this instrument," Optimus demanded, holding out a hand.

'No' to a kid - even if he did save the world last summer - was one thing, 'no' to the leader of the Autobots was another. Simmons surrendered the NBET with only a little reluctance and a word of warning. "Be careful, this thing's one of a kind."

Five inches square and two inches thick, the NBET looked like a big GPS, with a color-coded street map filling its screen. In the upper left hand corner were six green dots grouped closely together. Three red dots - one keeping to the streets, the others traveling diagonally, following the first - were nearing the bottom of the screen. The first red dot was weaving back and forth.

"The green dots are Autobots, the red are Decepticons," Simmons said, unnecessarily. It had taken less than a nanosecond for Optimus to figure that out.

"This is rather advanced for your race. More reverse engineered technology?"

Simmons coughed. "I'd prefer not to go into detail." He held out his hand, and Optimus returned the NBET.

"Can I see?" Sam repeated, peering over the man's shoulder. "It looks like a GPS," he said, a bit disappointed.

"It _is_a GPS. A high-tech GPS with a few modifications." Simmons gave the screen a few taps and it pulled back to show a larger section of the map. The streets became mere lines that the lead red dot crept along. The man indicated a small red circle. "See that? That's their base. They're headed away from it."

"Interesting."

"Can we go now?" Sam asked. "To get Katrina back?" He frowned when they didn't reply immediately. "We aren't just going to leave her to the Decepticons, are we?"

The Autobots were holding a swift conversation without vocalizing.

_"Frenzy killed the dogs that attacked Katrina, so Barricade must want her alive."_

_"But Starscream was definitely shootin' t' kill! If 'Bee's right, those Seekers'll hunt 'em down."_

_"Barricade is completely capable of evading the Seekers. I think Katrina will be safer with him at the moment."_

_"Ya can't be serious?"_

_"I view this attack as an unprovoked one that breaks Megatron's promise."_

_"Time t' kick some butt?"_

_"The odds haven't changed in our favor. I advise against attacking yet."_

_"We have no choice, and little time to prepare. Prowl, I want you to-"_

_"Optimus?"_

_"Yes, Jazz?"_

_"Ya forgot t' answer Sam's question."_

"Sorry, Sam," Prime apologized, looking down at the humans. "At the moment Katrina is safest with Barricade-"

"WHAT?" shrieked both teens.

"-and you both are going home. There's nothing you can do to help."

Sam pointed at Simmons. "Is he leaving?"

"I'm going to help them," the man replied.

"Then we're staying."

"A battlefield's no place for kids," snapped Simmons.

Mikaela folded her arms. "Then we'll go look for Katrina while you guys plan your battle."

"That would not be wise," Optimus warned. "The Decepticons may be looking you."

Already starting her motorcycle's engine, Mikaela shrugged. "We can take care of ourselves." The firmness of the teen's voice made it clear that she was not going to back down. "Come on, Sam. Morse, you with us?" There was no answering click, and she noticed that the weight on her shoulder had vanished. "Morse?"

"Morse!" Sam called, turning in a complete circle as he scanned the nearby ground for the spider. "Morse?"

Jazz forwarded the transmission he'd just received to the other Autobots.

"_Look alone. Luck_."

Optimus told the teens.

Sam groaned. "If he gets hurt, Katrina will never forgive me. MORSE, GET BACK HERE!"

"Can you track him down?" Mikaela asked hopefully.

Ratchet shook his head. "My scans aren't picking anything up." The other Autobots indicated negative scan results as well.

Sam closed his eyes in defeat. "Fine. We'll look for the stupid thing later. Let's go, Mikaela."

"Good luck," the teens called as the motorcycle shot off in a cloud of dust and flying gravel.

"Good luck," Simmons muttered, fiddling with the NBET, which had started beeping. "Going to need more than luck, kid. We could use a miracle."


	28. Chapter 28

**Got this written sooner than I hoped... The words are flowing this month for everything.  
****Hit the 10,000 word mark for NaNoWriMo - out of 50,000 - and it's only the fourth!  
This means I will have more time to work on other stories, like KS. ^.^**

**Note: The DocEdit is acting weird tonight, apologies if the formatting is messed up...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Well?"_

_"We...lost him, Lord Megatron."_

_"My best Seekers and you can't follow a single mech?"_

_"We'll keep searching-"_

_"No, leave him for now. He will come out sooner or later. I can deal with him then. We must prepare for battle."_

_"I thought you were facing Prime alone?"_

_"We shall see."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Eight

One of the Decepticons would make a low hissing sound every time Katrina opened her mouth to speak. After several minutes, the girl grew tired of impersonating a goldfish and sank into her seat with a quiet sigh.

"Ssssss!" Frenzy held a finger in front of his mouth.

Katrina closed her eyes and clenched her teeth against the hysterical laughter threatening to spill out. He'd gotten the motion right, but had used the wrong finger.

A moment later Barricade announced, "We've lost them for now. Probably gone crawling back to Megatron to beg for mercy."

"Why?" The girl folded her arms. "I want some answers, you two. How did Megatron find out that I'm alive? Did you guys attack the Autobots to get me? Where are we going and why did you rescue me after-"

"Will you be quiet!"

Katrina flinched back, eyes wide, startled by the Decepticon's shout, which she'd not been expecting. _Did I go too far? He could have Frenzy shoot me right now and I wouldn't know until it was too late._

"I'll answer one question if you promise to shut up."

"All right," the girl said in a small voice, running through her mental list. There were so many she wanted to ask. "Will you help me help the Autobots?"

"No."

Sighing, the girl turned her gaze to the nearest window. The sun was directly overhead. She should have been hungry, but food was the last thing she wanted to think about. An immense feeling of loneliness washed over her, and she curled up, head resting on the door, eyes staring into space. _I miss you so much, Morse._

As if he'd read her mind, Barricade asked, "Where's the insect? I don't sense him."

Katrina rubbed her eyes roughly with the back of a hand, refusing to cry. It wouldn't change anything. "I left him with Sam. Didn't want him to get hurt."

"Stupidinsectdeservestobeblownup," Frenzy muttered.

"He does not!"

"You two are going to _walk_ to Arizona..."

Katrina barely caught herself in time. _Why are we going to Arizona?_ she wondered, wishing she could ask it, but she had a feeling Barricade was not joking.

Frenzy couldn't resist having the final word. "Stupidinsecthasverydirtymouth,calledFrenzylotsofbadnames."

The police car squealed to a halt and the front passenger door flew open. "Out."

"She started it!"

_Did not!_ Katrina bristled with indignation, barely restraining herself from protesting out loud.

"I'll be back for you later. Maybe. _Out._"

Cursing, Frenzy shot the girl a murderous glare. On a split second decision, she motioned with her hand and mouthed, "Back here."

He glanced at the open door, then dove for the back seat, transforming in midair. Katrina clutched the cd player's handle, a smug grin on her face. The grin would have been a look of horror if she'd heard the transmission Barricade sent.

_"Frenzy, I've warned you about following orders."_

Barricade slammed the door shut and went from zero to ninety in two seconds, leaving the town behind in a cloud of dust. When he slammed on his brakes Katrina flew forward, crashing against the locked seat belt. Gasping for breath, she did not notice the door opening until it was too late. An invisible force threw her and the cd player she was still holding from the car, which tore off before they'd hit the ground.

_"Barricade,wait!"_ Frenzy screamed over their link.

_"I _might_ come back for you later."_ Barricade terminated their link, something he rarely did. The shock silenced Frenzy for almost a minute, giving Katrina's brain enough time to realize what had happened.

"Ow," the girl moaned, every bruise sending warning flares to her brain. _I'm surprised I haven't broken anything yet_.

Spitting words from a strange language, Frenzy jumped to his feet and shook a fist after Barricade, who'd vanished down the road. Unable to vent his anger on its perpetrator, he then turned angry blue eyes on Katrina.

"Stupidhumanshouldn'thavemeddled!"

"Believe me, I won't next time," she grumbled, getting to her feet and swaying slightly - every muscle, including ones she hadn't known she had, was resisting movement. "That _hurt_."

More unknown words.

"What language is that?" Katrina asked. Maybe now that Barricade was not there to order silence every five seconds, she might get some real answers.

"Cybertronian," Frenzy snapped in English before lapsing into the other language again. He sent pulse after pulse toward Barricade, but the link remained dormant.

Unaware of the silent drama, the girl shrugged and filed that bit of information for future reference. All right, maybe she'd been too optimistic. The little robot was in no mood for chatting. She watched as he started pacing back and forth, still babbling in Cybertronian.

"How long until he comes back for us?"

Wrong question. Frenzy lived up to his name as he began gesticulating wildly, the constant prattle turning into a continuous shriek. Grimacing, Katrina covered her ears. It did little to block the noise.

"Frenzy, stop!" she yelled, pulling her hands away from her ears and clenching them into fists. If she had to, she'd strike the robot. Better an aching hand than damaged eardrums, at least the former would heal.

The shriek became a thin wail and Frenzy huddled on the ground, quivering.

"Frenzy?" Katrina grew worried when the little Decepticon didn't react to his name nor the gentle rap she gave his head with her knuckles. "Barricade will be back soon, let's walk down the road so we can meet him."

"NONONONONONONONONONONONONO!"

The girl took a step back, uncertain what to do. It looked like Frenzy was having a nervous breakdown, which made _her_ nervous.

"Come on," coaxed Katrina, walking backward in slow motion while beckoning. One of her ankles twinged and she grimaced, hoping she hadn't twisted it, or worse, gotten a sprain. "We'll just go a little ways, far enough to find some shade. I don't want to get heat stroke." She noticed her duffel lying on the ground nearby and groaned. There was no way she'd be able to carry that much weight at the moment. The Decepticon hadn't moved, though he'd fallen silent, and Katrina sank to the ground beside the duffel.

_I give up._ The sand was hot on her skin, despite the scant protection of her jeans, but she didn't have the energy required to move. Heat rays were rising from the nearby pavement and Katrina could feel her vision blur. She closed her aching eyes. The low rumble of a distant car made her sit up fast, but it was coming from the wrong direction.

"Frenzy, you've got to change _now!_" Katrina ordered, voice sharp with fear. If someone saw the Decepticon, they might panic and drive off the road or stop and ask questions.

The Decepticon shuddered, then collapsed into his other form. Katrina forced herself to her feet and shouldered the duffel, then picked up Frenzy and started shuffling along a few yards from the road's edge. _I'm on the wrong side of the road, should be facing traffic_, she thought absently while a red car drove by. It didn't even slow down, and Katrina relaxed. After checking both ways, she walked across the road and continued plodding along. Every step was an effort and between the duffel and Decepticon she felt like she was carrying her own weight, but movement kept her mind occupied. There were so many things she didn't want to think about.

Mouth dry, she stopped and managed to unzip the duffel with her free hand, only to remember she'd left her water bottles in the shopping bags. As far as she could recall, they hadn't been evicted from the car, which could be a good sign, but Barricade might have dumped somewhere else. She couldn't remember whether she'd seen them on the seat or not. Taking a deep breath, she zipped the bag and trudged on, hoping to find shade soon. More than anything she wanted sleep, despite the time of day. Her stomach growled. When had she last eaten? Oh, yeah, the chocolate at the gas station, right before Prowl rammed Barricade and she got into the wrong - right? - _wrong_ car. _If I hadn't returned to the Autobots, they wouldn't have gotten injured... But Prowl wouldn't have gotten there in time to stop Optimus..._

Sighing, Katrina brushed her jacket sleeve across her forehead, remembering the conversation she'd had with Sam a week ago about the _Lion King_. _Put the past behind you. I thought it would be easy, but it's not, not at all_.

Rocks, scattered in small heaps, appeared in the distance, and the girl increased her pace by a small margin. Her trembling legs gave out the instant she reached a large shadow cast by one of the large piles of stone. Katrina collapsed on the ground, her limp fingers freeing Frenzy. Duffel serving for a pillow, the girl passed out.

"Stupidhumannottimetosleep," complained Frenzy, prodding Katrina's arm with a sharp finger. "Wakewakewake!"

"Buzz off," she mumbled, swatting at his hand as if it were only an annoying bug. "Wanna sleep."

The Decepticon wisely decided not to pursue the matter and returned to his cd player shape, deciding to get some rest himself. It had been a while since his last recharge.

When Barricade returned thirty minutes later, he wasn't sure if he was annoyed or amused. He felt guilty about severing contact with his sidekick, but Frenzy was in a peaceful recharge, showing no sign of distress. The little mech had even remembered to stay in his alt form. As for the human, except for a slight case of sunburn, she looked fine and was even smiling a little in her sleep.

Barricade _almost_ regretted waking them with a sharp blast of his horn.


	29. Chapter 29

**Since I'm way ahead for NaNo, I took a break to write this.**

**There's been a slight change in formatting, specifically, the way Frenzy's speech is written.  
The current strung together format has started to give me headaches, so I'm putting dashes between the words now.  
At some point I'll go back and fix the other chapters.**

**I often forget to say this, but THANK YOU for reviewing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"I want an aerial scout watching for the Autobots at all times."_

_"I can do that."_

_"No, Thundercracker will. I have other plans for you and Skywarp. Take Ravage and Rampage and find a good vantage point when the battle begins. If the Autobots gain an advantage, you know what to do."_

_"Yes, Lord Megatron. If Barricade shows up..."_

_"Take him down as quietly as possible."_

* * *

Chapter Twenty Nine

"_Barricade!_" Frenzy flung himself at the police car.

"_Happy to see me?_"

Dancing with rage, the little Decepticon began pounding on the hood with his fists, making small dents in the metal. "_Don't-you-ever-do-that-again!_"

"_Frenzy..._" Barricade growled, getting ready to swat his sidekick into next week.

A fight might have begun had Katrina not sat up at that moment and screamed. Both mechs froze, then Frenzy began slowly inching toward to opposite side of the car before he realized what he was doing and stopped.

"_What's-wrong-with-her?"_

Katrina clutched her head, which felt like someone was trying to chisel through her cranium with a blunt screwdriver. Salty blood filled her mouth; she'd bitten her tongue. The sharp taste distracted her for a second, and during that brief moment the pain vanished.

"What was that about?"

_So he's back._ After spitting several times, the girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and climbed shakily to her feet, scooping up her duffel on the way. "Back so soon?"

"It's been an hour."

Sighing, Katrina glanced toward the sky. It had to be close to noon, she was running out of time. She fiddled with her duffel strap, preparing to ask a favor that probably wouldn't be granted. _I have to at least try. It could mean life or death for the Autobots_.

"I need to get to...Hoover Dam," she said, the words forced out, stumbling over each other. "You don't have to help the Autobots, but I could, if I get reinforcements."

"Your pathetic government won't do anything to help."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't trust them if they did. Look," she added before any more questions could be raised, questions she didn't want to answer yet, "I need a ride to Hoover Dam. You can either help me or go away. I'll hitchhike if I have to."

"Hitchhike five hundred miles? You'll never get there in time."

Taking that as a 'no, I won't help you', Katrina shrugged and took a step forward, then sank to her knees, hands flying to her head again. The ache wasn't as bad this time, but it hurt enough to release a whimper from her throat.

_"...not a good idea!"_

_"She-saved-my-life."_

_"Only to save herself the effort of bringing you back a _second_ time."_

_"Starscream-would-never-think-to-look-there."_

_"You have a point. He will not have the time to go so far with a battle approaching."_

The agony stopped and Katrina took a deep breath. She heard Barricade say something, but her ears were ringing. Shaking her head, she scrambled to her feet.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Get in." Barricade had to repeat the order before it sunk in.

A smile spread across Katrina's face as she hopped into the back seat. "Thank you!"

The Decepticon shuddered. _"Frenzy, locate the quickest route to Hoover Dam."_

***

Frenzy chattered constantly over their link, but Barricade paid no attention. Something was nagging him, a bit of information on the edge of his processor that refused to be pinned down. Something unusual the human had said not long before he'd dumped her and Frenzy on the side of the road. It took almost an hour, but finally it came to him, and after a little more thought, he was positive there was no way she should have known of the lie.

"Human."

Katrina's chin was propped up on her hand and she was staring at the scenery streaking by, half-dozing. The sound of Barricade's voice brought her back to reality and she sat up straight, arm falling to her side.

"What?"

"How did you know that Megatron thought you were dead?"

The girl tensed, mind working at hyper speed, creating and discarding possible lies.

When she didn't answer immediately, Barricade ran a quick diagnostic scan. Faster breathing, increased pulse; she was nervous, probably readying herself to lie.

"I will know if you lie, human. The truth."

"I'll tell you under one condition," Katrina said, hugging her knees to her chest. "Don't ask me any more questions."

The car slowed. "I could just dump you on the side of the road again."

It was almost preferable, but Hoover Dam was still a long ways off. Katrina sighed. "I keep hearing voices. In my head." She shivered, trying to hold in the panic that wanted to rise every time she really thought about what was going on. "When I was in Simmons's house, I heard you and Megatron talking. You told him I was dead. Why?"

"That's none of your business."

Katrina leaned forward so fast the seat belt caught. Her eyes blazed. "That's what _they_ said, any time I questioned something. Not your problem, it's classified, _none of your business_-"

"Who is 'they'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Despite her cocky words, the girl shook a little, a small tremor of fear that Barricade felt. _I don't want to think about them._ Her hands clenched and she forced them to open, relax. _They don't matter anymore._

"Scared of 'them', human?"

_I shouldn't be, but I still am._ "No. They're gone for good." Katrina closed her eyes against the memories pushing their way to the front of her mind. "How much longer to the Dam?"

"About three hours."

_It hasn't even been an hour yet. He _can't_ be going to speed limit._ "You're going to get a speeding ticket, you know." The girl felt like groaning as soon as the words escaped her mouth. _An alien robot disguised as a cop won't be ticketed, idiot._

Barricade merely laughed and accelerated past a state trooper, who gave him no more than a cursory glance. Frenzy bounced up and down in the front seat as the speed continued to increase.

"Go-go-go!" he urged the larger Decepticon.

Katrina's shoulders slumped. Frenzy's rapid-fire speech reminded her of Morse's clicks. She curled up on the seat, barely keeping tears at bay. _Sam better be taking good care of you, Morse, or I'll kill him._

***

Sam spat dark hair out of his mouth for the hundredth time and tried to look around Mikaela without tipping the bike. Not an easy feat.

"Any sign?" he yelled over the roar of the motorcycle's engine.

"No," she called back. "We might not even be headed in the right direction."

"What?"

"WE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!"

Sam sighed and continued scanning the road ahead for a certain police cruiser. _Too bad we don't have Morse with us, he might be able to pick up Barricade on scan. I should have taken that little gadget Simmons has. God, Katrina, if you die, my parents are going to kill me..._

***

Morse's feet made satisfying clicks on the concrete sidewalk. He scuttled along, oblivious to the occasional scream from a squeamish passerby who had mistaken him for a real spider. The little creature was looking for Katrina and he would not stop until he found his friend.

_Should have stopped. Bad Con want kill. No die, Katrina, I coming. Please be okay. Should have stopped._ The thoughts circled around and around in his head as he made his way to the outskirts of town.

A soft magnetic hum did not catch his attention until it was too late. Morse screamed as he zipped through the air to crash in a large mech's hand.

"What have you got, Thundercracker?"

"Nothing, Starscream." The hand closed around Morse and he clamped his mouth shut. A single sound might reveal his presence and getting himself smashed would not help Katrina.

"Megatron wants you aloft to watch for the Autobots."

"As our lord commands."

"Have you seen Skywarp?"

"Not for a while."

"When you see him, tell him to find me immediately."

"Of course."

Morse squeaked in fright when Thundercracker transformed with the little creature still in his hand. Fortunately the sound of sliding plates and gears covered the noise. The jet took off, sending Morse tumbling off the dashboard he'd suddenly been standing on. Whimpering, the terrified spider dug his claws into the pilot seat's upholstery.

"Continue in that fashion and you'll be falling to the surface, insect, without one of those inventions called parachutes."

"_What want?_" Morse sent, loading the words with anger.

"If the human shows up, Megatron may be interested in some bait."

"_No!_" Morse raised his front legs, which shifted into tiny cannons that immediately discharged miniature rounds. They did nothing more than scorch the upholstery.

"Stop."

Shaking with rage, the spider fired again. _"No let you harm Katrina."_

"You don't follow orders well, do you? I told you to stop." A small blue force field blossomed around Morse. "I don't suggest firing at it."

Morse tried anyway, using the highest firepower he had. The white hot charge rebounded and struck him.

"Slag," muttered Thundercracker, watching the little mech's eyes go dark, its armor now black and smoking. "Megatron needed a live hostage."


	30. Chapter 30

**My muse was in an evil mood when I wrote the last chapter. *cries* I didn't even see the shot coming until it was too late.**

**FFN is acting strange tonight, apologies ahead of time for any formatting errors.**

**Speaking of errors, I heard a rumor that sentences that are run-on - - have been removed from fics.  
I REALLY hope it doesn't happen to my old chapters...  
It does make me glad that I changed Frenzy's speech format, though.**

**Won NaNoWriMo on the 15th. ^.^  
Means I've got close to half of month of free writing time, since Mom gave me the month off to do NaNo. Yay!  
****Now, if only my muse and the characters would co-operate, I could get lots of chapters written in that time...  
Time for me to stop babbling.**

**Almost forgot! Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing. I've had some tough days this month and you always cheer me up. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Click. "Optimus?"

_"Yes. Who is this?"_

_"Captain Lennox. Is Ironhide with you?"_

_"Yes. Shall I send him home to protect your family?"_

_"No, Sarah and Annabelle are staying with friends. They'll be fine. I'm coming to help, along with Epps and a few other guys."_

_Click. "Hey, Optimus, we're ready to kick some Decepticon a-"_

_"EPPS, OFF THE EXTENSION!"_

_Click._

_"How much time do we have left? It's going to take five hours for the Secretary to get us some sabot rounds. Damn bureaucrats and their red tape."_

_"Megatron gave us two days, but my decision has been made. The Autobots will attack in ten hours. Will that be sufficient time?"_

_"Plenty of time. Once we've got the rounds we'll commandeer a jet. ETA seven hours, give or ta- What's that? Yes, sir. Excuse me, the Secretary's back. I'll contact you as soon as we take off." Click._

* * *

Chapter Thirty

The ache was sudden and strong. Katrina doubled over, gasping for air that wouldn't come. It felt like a red hot coal had been shoved into her chest. Her heartbeat accelerated, skipped several beats, then sped up again, the rhythm becoming more erratic with each second.

_What's happening? Did that dog damage something internal? Am I dying? It hurts so much_... The girl moaned, fighting to stay conscious. She heard someone speak, their voice far away, hard to concentrate on through the agony.

"Katrina? Katrina!"

_Katrina? That's me... Who's calling?_ In her struggle to recall the speaker's name she lost her tenuous grip on consciousness and let the welcoming darkness wash away the pain.

"Katrina!" shouted Barricade, nearly swerving into a large tractor trailer when the girl keeled over. A quick scan revealed no problems except a slight case of dehydration and plenty of scratches, nothing severe enough to cause a collapse. "Frenzy, what happened?"

"I-don't-know-I-didn't-do-anything-I-swear! What-say-scans?"

"Nothing unusual but...wait. Her pulse is all over the place. That makes no sense." Barricade made a swift search of the web for relevant medical information. Nothing matched his criteria. A human would have pounded his forehead against a desk; Barricade revved his engine and began conducting a wider search.

"Barricade-you-should-look-at-this."

Katrina's eyes had opened and she started to shake, a strong blue glow almost obscuring the outline of her clenched hands. Her mouth moved soundlessly for almost a minute, then she passed out. The glow vanished.

"Now-what-say-scans?"

"Pulse, stabilizing. Brain activity low. She's asleep."

"What-happened?"

"That's a good question, Frenzy, and I'm sure the human will be glad to elaborate when she wakes up."

"Can-I-shock-her-awake?"

Barricade actually considered it. "No. She might strike out and damage something."

"Human-too-stupid-to-harm-me."

"Let her sleep."

"Something-is-leaking."

The larger Decepticon wavered between groaning or cursing, then settled for scanning the girl a third time in as many minutes. "Frenzy, it's only 'tears'. Do an internet search next time instead of bothering me. Humans drive crazy on these highways."

Barricade switched lanes to pass a slow-moving minivan. The minivan started to accelerate. Muttering Cybertronian curses, Barricade increased his own speed, resisting the urge to nick the minivan's bumper as he pulled in front of it. The human honked his horn. Barricade blared his own in reply, then shot ahead, only to brake sharply when a red car drew in front of him. The Decepticon spat more curses, forgetting that his audio speakers were on.

Katrina whimpered at the loud noise and opened her eyes, shuddering. "Morse... Ow!" Frenzy had reached back and poked her arm.

"Are-you-hurt?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." The girl rubbed her arm and looked out the window. "Where are we?"

"Still on the highway."

"What state?"

"How should I know?"

"Arizona?" Frenzy hazarded a guess.

"We're almost there, then." Katrina sighed, shoulders slumping.

The girl's reaction confused Barricade. "I thought you wanted to go to Hoover Dam."

"I do, but... What the heck is that guy trying to do?" This was directed toward the red car in front of Barricade. It was constantly shifting speeds, even snaking back and forth in its lane, almost like the driver was taunting the police car behind him. Katrina had seen plenty of dumb stunts with various powered vehicles, but this one immediately rose to the top of the list.

"I assume the human has a deathwish," replied Barricade.

Goosebumps rose on Katrina's arms. She didn't like his tone of voice at all. "What are you-" A siren wailed to life, drowning out her question, and the girl ducked her head down, covering her ears and closing her eyes. _I don't want to know_.

The impudent driver swerved into the other lane as soon as Barricade's siren started, and the Decepticon followed. Cars, trucks, minivans and tractor trailers began to pull over when the siren approached, but didn't slow very much before the two cars flashed by.

Katrina risked a peek at the speedometer on the dashboard. If it was accurate, the Decepticon was driving close to a hundred and fifty miles, and since the red car was pulling ahead, it must be going closer to a hundred and sixty. Signs flashed by, lettering blurred. Had that green one mentioned an exit for Nevada? She confirmed her guess with a glimpse of the blue sign of an exit ramp.

"Barricade, we passed the exit we were supposed to take!" she shouted above the sound of the siren. The noise didn't stop and Barricade didn't slow down. Groaning, the girl sank back in the seat and covered her face. _This isn't going to end well_.

_"Barricade-you-better-stop-we-missed-the-exit."_

_"It can wait, this human driver needs to be taught a lesson in road safety."_

_"But-"_

_"Frenzy, either shut up or I'll dump you out right now."_

Mutinous thoughts swirling in his mind, the little Decepticon fell silent.

Barricade paid little attention to his sidekick's fretting, his focus at the moment was the insolent red car. The traffic had become heavier, but the crimson vehicle continued weaving around other cars in reckless disregard. A break in traffic allowed the driver to cut across three lanes at once; Barricade followed, practically touching the car's tailgate. Moments later the human did the maneuver again, then made a sharp turn onto an exit ramp. The Decepticon didn't even hesitate, pursuing his quarry around the curved ramp faster than a human vehicle could have handled without spinning out of control.

Something was beginning to bother Barricade about the red car. It hadn't run out of fuel yet, despite keeping up a high speed chase for almost an hour. By all rights the car should be on its last dregs of gas. Either it was more fuel efficient than most, or it wasn't a car. Perhaps chasing it had been a bad idea, but Barricade hated to leave any mission uncompleted, self-assigned or not. _Fifteen more minutes,_ he promised himself, engine purring as he began to catch up.

Frenzy finally grew bored of sitting quietly. Since Barricade was still annoyed with him, the little Decepticon turned his attention to a safer audience. He scrambled into the back and prodded Katrina's arm, trying to draw the girl's attention away from the window.

"What do you want?" snapped Katrina, frowning.

"Have-questions-want-answers."

The girl shrugged. "You've got internal internet connection, right? Google it."

"I-want-to-talk-with-a-real-person-not-computers."

Katrina sighed. _I'm not in the mood for a question-answer session_. "All right, but only on two conditions."

"What-conditions?"

"One, you answer my questions as well. Two, you have to say the magic word first."

Now it was Frenzy's turn to sigh. "I-don't-know-the-magic-word."

"Google it," the girl replied with a slight smile.

Two seconds later Frenzy bounced in excitement, having found the term easily enough. "Please?"

"Okay." Katrina swiveled in her seat so she was facing the jittery robot. "Sh-er, first question." Her imagination supplied an image of what might have happened had she finished saying 'shoot'. Not a pretty picture.

"Why-were-you-crying?"

Breath hissed out of Katrina's mouth and she grimaced, feeling a ghost of the pain from before. "I...can't answer that." Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back. _There's nothing I can do for Morse, don't think about it_.

"Why-not?"

_I want to tell someone. Anyone. Should I?_ Katrina fidgeted. The weight pressing down on her was unbearable._ Enemy or not, at least he's willing to listen._ After a few false starts, she managed to squeeze the words past the lump in her throat.

"I think Morse is dead." Her voice was quiet, heavy with sorrow, weariness and despair. "I _felt_ him dying. I tried to send the power to him, but it didn't work." She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. "I shouldn't have left him behind. I didn't even say good-bye." A slight tap on her shoulder caused her to recoil before she realized that it hadn't been meant to harm, but rather an attempt to comfort. Brushing away tears, she gave Frenzy a questioning look. He had moved away when she flinched, and was staring off into space.

_What is he thinking about?_ Katrina wondered. The little Decepticon was uncharacteristically silent.

Frenzy was imagining what it would feel like if Barricade off-lined for good. Even considering the idea made his Spark ache. Burying the thought for the moment, his focus returned to the human.

"Sorry," he whispered.

Had Barricade been human, his jaw would have dropped right then. He had been eavesdropping on the conversation, and couldn't believe he'd heard Frenzy right. His sidekick had actually used the word sorry without physical provocation? That human was becoming a bad influence. The sooner they got rid of her, the better. First, though, he had a red Corvette to catch.

Katrina sighed and reached out with one hand to pat Frenzy's head, careful of the sharp spikes. "It's not your fault."

Something occurred to him. "You-can-bring-him-back-like-others-like-me."

The girl shook her head. "There's only one way he could have been killed," she said bitterly. "One of your Decepticon friends must have captured him. Knowing that I'm alive, they wouldn't dare leave any remains." She let out a shuddering breath. "Wake me when we get to the Dam. I need to rest." Katrina leaned back and closed her eyes. The dreamless sleep she wished for did not come, but she did drift into a light doze, which was far better than the haunting nightmares she was sure would come.

After a few minutes of watching the girl, Frenzy slipped into recharge, curling up on the seat next to Katrina.

With no more distractions, Barricade drew ever closer to his quarry, so intent on the chase that he didn't notice the road getting rougher, the houses growing sparse or the flat landscape becoming an untamed wilderness.


	31. Chapter 31

**Yay, nice long chapter today! And only four days since my last update!  
I'm going to miss writing this when it's done...**

**After writing this I worked out the timeline for the day leading up to the fight and...  
I managed to schedule the fight to start at midnight?!  
****At least no one's going to be up to notice that a battle is taking place right outside town...**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

"Megatron."

_"Prime. You are contacting me to signal your surrender?"_

_"Two Seekers attacked our base before the deadline. I consider your offer void, and now make my own offer. If you surrender, the Decepticons are free to leave Earth and find a new planet to call home."_

_"I will _never_ surrender!"_

_"Then we must fight. You have ten hours to prepare for battle. The Autobots will be waiting at these coordinates. If the Decepticons do not face us then, we will hunt you down."_

_"Oh, we'll be there. Enjoy your last few hours, I-"_

_"Done already, Optimus? What'd he say?"_

_"He'll meet us."_

_"That's all? No insults or death threats?"_

_"I terminated the link before he could start."_

_"I'd rather hunt them down individually."_

_"Ironhide has a point, we are at a great disadvantage for a full mech-to-mech battle."_

_"Scared, Prowl? My cannons need a good work out. Jazz, you be more careful this time. No taking on mechs three times your size."_

_"How about only twice my size?"_

_"_Jazz_!"_

_"Ironhide, Jazz. Now is not the time for dissent among us."_

_"Sorry."_

_"Sorry."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty One

Barricade's sidekick was awakened rudely by a loud transmission. _"Frenzy, watch the human!"_ He shifted to battle mode, holding shurikens ready to throw, then heard a crash behind him. Chagrined, he whirled around, taking in the situation. Katrina was lying on the ground nearby, trying to make herself as small as possible. Barricade and a familiar red mech were circling each other cautiously not far away. Frenzy crept over to Katrina, annoyed that he couldn't join in the fight that would soon start.

The girl moaned as she sat up. "What's going on?"

Frenzy rolled his optics at the stupid question, then realized that the human had probably been dropped while sleeping. Having nothing better to do, he explained. "Red-car-we-were-following-is-Autobot. Barricade-is-about-to-off-line-him."

"Why?"

"Stupid-mech-taunted-Barricade." The little Decepticon jittered with excitement.

"Mech? Is that his name?"

Frenzy laughed. "No-mech-is-mech. Opposite-of-femme. Frenzy-forget-this-mech's-name. Does-not-matter-will-be-off-line-soon."

Off-line. She'd figured out that phrase meant dead or kill, depending on the context. Katrina scowled and got to her feet, wincing when she put weight on her left ankle, the injured one.

"Where-are-you-going?"

"To stop him," she replied, striding forward, hands clenched at her sides. _No more death. I can't take it._ "Barricade!"

"Oh-no-no-no-this-is-bad." Frenzy hid behind a boulder, guessing correctly that he couldn't stop the human.

"-ging glitch-" Frowning, Barricade swallowed the rest of the insult and glanced toward the human's voice. She was walking toward him and there was no sign of Frenzy. _"Frenzy, I told you to watch her! That meant keeping her away from the fight!"_

_"She-doesn't-want..."_ the little mech faltered, then settled for something safer than trying to rationalize the peculiar thought processes of the human. _"_You_-try-stopping-her."_

"Get back, human," Barricade yelled at Katrina. "You want to get hurt?"

"I won't be if you don't fight!" she retorted.

"Listen to your pet, 'Con," jeered the red mech, folding his arms, "and you might live to see the next sunrise."

"You just earned a one-way trip to the Pit," Barricade snapped, his cannon humming to its highest setting. He'd deal with the girl's impudence later.

Katrina dashed the last few steps and stood between them, waving her arms. "Wait a minute!" She turned to the red mech, hoping to stop the conflict before it went any further. "Could you please apologize to Barricade?"

"Apologize to a fragging _'Con?_"

Barricade's shout was even louder. "You expect a mere apology to appease me?"

"No!" bellowed the two mechs in unison.

Trying not to laugh, Katrina turned to Barricade, fists on her hips. "If you get hurt, how am I supposed to get to Hoover Dam?"

The battlelight in his eyes did not flicker. "That's your problem. Get out of the way before I shoot you, human."

"So this is what a human is." A red hand closed around Katrina and she let out a shrill scream as her feet left the ground.

"Put her down!" Barricade ordered.

"Awful small," continued the red mech, holding the girl closer to his face so he could get a better look and ignoring the Decepticon completely. Katrina kicked out, just missing his right optic. "Got a lot of guts, though, to walk into the middle of a fight."

Katrina bit back a sharp comment, it would be better not to point out that they hadn't started fighting yet. She settled for a glare and another kick.

Sideswipe laughed. "What're you doing with a big, tough 'Con, human? I'm guessing you're not his pet. Or are you?"

The girl squirmed, his grip was firm enough to be uncomfortable. "I'm not a pet, my name's Katrina and you're hurting me!"

"Put her down, 'Sides," growled Barricade, sending to his sidekick, _"Frenzy, scan the area. Where's his twin?"_

Frenzy replied almost immediately. _"Only-three-mechs-around-here-you-him-and-me-no-sign-of-yellow-twin."_

_"Keep searching, he must be somewhere nearby."_

A tinge of crimson came to the red mech's blue optics. "Don't call me that." His hand tightened, and Katrina whimpered.

It was getting hard for her to breath. _Any more and he'll break my ribs._

"You will kill her if you aren't careful, Sideswipe." Barricade warned, "and dead hostages are worthless."

"My fight's not with her." The red mech set Katrina down and she breathed in deeply, rubbing her bruised ribs. "Stay out of the way."

"No!" The girl scrambled to her feet. "You've wasted a lot of our time already, and a fight'll delay us even longer. I've got to-"

"-get to this Hoover Dam place, yes, you mentioned it before. What's so special about it?"

"I have to call for help and the equipment is there."

"Help for the Decepticons? Even more reason to-"

"No," interrupted Katrina, shaking her head. "Help for the Autobots."

Sideswipe gave her a look of disbelief. "Nice try. I don't think Prime would send a human youngling and a 'Con to do a mech's work."

"Optimus doesn't know."

Sideswipe made a noise much like a human snort. "Maybe you could explain this better, Barricade?" he suggested sardonically.

"Sure, 'Sides, right after I-"

The red mech tackled Barricade, bringing him to the ground with a crash. "Sunny was the only mech allowed to call me 'Sides, stop using it!"

In a wrestling match, Barricade had the advantage, being larger and stronger. Within seconds he had Sideswipe pinned down and a cannon pointed straight at the red mech's Spark chamber.

"Beg for mercy," snarled the Decepticon.

Katrina had watched the lightning fast fight in wide-eyed silence, now she broke the sudden quiet. "Who's Sunny?"

"Sunstreaker to you," Sideswipe snapped. He stopped struggling and let his optics dim. "Go ahead and shoot me, 'Con, I don't care anymore."

Barricade got to his feet, his cannon becoming a hand as he turned away. "Then letting you live is a worse fate than death. Frenzy, get out here, we're leaving."

Katrina frowned, looking from one mech to the other, unsure what had happened. Why had Barricade changed his mind?

"Human, move it."

"You might use my name." The girl shot Barricade a glare and walked over to the red mech, who hadn't moved or said anything. Could Barricade have hurt him in a way that wasn't visible? "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

Barricade, back in police car form, revved his engine in impatience.

Katrina ignored him. "Who was Sunstreaker? A friend?"

"My twin." Sideswipe sat up and dropped his head in his hands. "Go away, Katrina."

"Don't you want to help Optimus and the others?" she pressed. "They're going to fight the Decepticons soon and there's only-" she did a quick tally on her fingers "-six, including you, against a _lot_ of Decepticons."

"Megatron's dead, they shouldn't have any problems."

"No, he's not."

"Optimus said in his transmission-"

"I... It's a long story, but I know for certain Megatron's alive. Will you help?" Katrina decided to play what she hoped was the ultimate trump card. "I think Sunstreaker would want you to protect your friends." She reached out a tentative hand and gently touched the mech's arm. "Please."

Sideswipe didn't reply. A minute passed. Eyes downcast, Katrina turned and walked over to Barricade. She sank into the backseat with a sigh, not even flinching when the door slammed shut. "We can go. Sorry for the delay." The car moved forward, and she reached for her seat-belt. "Why didn't you shoot him?"

"Off-lining him would have been a mercy," Barricade replied callously. "Losing a twin is like losing half your Spark. I'm surprised he survived the blow."

_So he didn't kill him because it's crueler to let him live._ Katrina shuddered, wondering if the Decepticon ever did anything for a good reason. He'd ordered Frenzy to protect her twice, lied to Megatron, and rescued her when Starscream and the other jet had attacked the Autobots, but all of those deeds had an ulterior motive - keeping the precious AllSpark power safe and in his grasp. _He _is_ taking me to Hoover Dam,_ she reminded herself. _Or does he have something terrible planned and I'm playing into his hands by trying to help the Autobots? _Katrina sighed. All this second-guessing was getting her nowhere.

"How long until we get to the Dam?" she asked.

"A few hours," was the terse reply.

"Acknowledged," the girl muttered, touching her left temple, which was throbbing slightly. _What, no voices this time?_ The thought came too soon, and was washed away by the usual agonizing pain.

_"Barricade, hold on, tell the human I changed my mind. You don't have to go to Hoover Dam, I can call the others myself."_

_"We don't need your assistance."_

Scowling, Katrina kicked the back of the driver's seat. "Are you crazy? Yes, we do. Pull over."

"We do wh-oh." He'd forgotten about the girl and her apparent ability to hear transmissions. Barricade considered not pulling over for about two seconds, but getting Sideswipe to call down the Autobots was slightly more appealing than spending another few hours driving in the insaneness of human highways. The Autobots could take the human and he would be free to find a good hiding place in case the Decepticons won the battle. Megatron might eventually forgive him for disobeying orders, but until Barricade was sure his leader wouldn't shoot him on sight, he wanted to lie low.

_"Pull over and stop_," he sent to the Autobot, then braked and moved to the side of the road. They were still in a deserted area, so Katrina and Frenzy got out and stood to one side while the two cars transformed.

"You might want to stand aside and cloak your signal," Sideswipe told Barricade. "We got attacked by Soundwave on the way here, so Arcee's a little trigger happy when it comes to 'Cons right now. It should be fine if we explain the situation to her first."

"How about the human stays with you and I leave?"

Katrina opened her mouth to object, then shut it. She should be happy the Decepticon was leaving, but...she wasn't. No point in trying to change his mind, though. She closed her mouth and turned her gaze to the ground.

"I'm not baby-sitting your human," the Autobot protested. "No way. And you're staying with us."

"Have someone else take her. I've got my own business to attend to."

"I wouldn't trust Mudflap or Skids not to damage her and Arcee's been in a bad mood. _I'm_ not carrying her around, she'd get my seats dirty. As for your business, it'll have to wait. We can't allow you to alert the Decepticons of our arrival."

"You can't stop me."

Something hard pressed against the back of Barricade's head.

"_We_ can."


	32. Chapter 32

**I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a great holiday. I know I did.  
I got to see my brother, his wife and daughter for the first time in ages. Yay! ^.^**

**Today I am confused. Where exactly is Tranquility? Nevada?  
That's what I thought, but if the town's about 500 miles from Hoover Dam, Nevada doesn't make sense.  
There _is_ a Tranquillity in Southern California that's the right distance from the Dam.  
So until I learn differently, and despite the slight variation in the spelling,  
California is where Tranquility is based for this story.**

**I don't normally mention characters before introducing them but I did want to confess ahead of time  
that when faced with the challenge of writing Mudflap and Skids' speech, I gave up.  
*hangs head* Slang is just not my forte.**

**I keep forgetting to say this, but THANK YOU for reviewing. You keep me going when the going gets tough. :)**

**Enjoy!**

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"Sam? It's almost dinnertime, where are you?"

_"With Mikaela. We're biking around town."_

_"Invite her to dinner if you like, but I want you home by five, understand?"_

_"Mom, why are you calling me an hour ahead of time?"_

_"Well, your father and I wanted to make sure you were all right."_

_"We're fine, Mom. Don't worry."_

_"Sam, Katrina was kidnapped two days ago, and this morning a giant robot practically declared war on Earth over the television! Don't tell me not to worry!"_

_"We'll be back by five, I promise."_

_"You had better be, or...or you'll be grounded for life!"_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Two

"It's about time, Sideswipe. Did you find out where Optimus is?"

Barricade cursed at his stupidity, he'd allowed himself to be distracted, giving the red mech time to summon the other Autobots, who hadn't been as far away as he had thought.

"Aw, Arcee, don't shoot it, that's no fun!"

They're_ here? The human better be out of sight,_ the Decepticon thought, scanning the area he could see without moving his head. There she was, behind a tree. If she was lucky, the twins wouldn't notice her.

"Hey, we know that mech! What's up, 'Cade? Haven't seen you around for a while."

"A while's an understatement, bro, more like several vorns-"

"Shut up, you two," Sideswipe groaned. "You're giving me a headache."

"Oh, go shoot a tree, 'Sides."

"Don't call me that!"

"Whatever, _'Sides_."

"I'm warning you, Mudflap..."

Katrina peeked out of her hiding place, worried. Sideswipe looked ready to pounce on two smaller mechs. There was a pink Autobot holding what appeared to be a high tech crossbow to Barricade's head. Frenzy had turned into a cd player and was currently hiding behind a rock. _Should I do something or not?_ the girl wondered._ I might make things worse._

"All right, everyone calm down," the pink one said. "Twins, zip it. Sideswipe, why is this Decepticon still living after being in your presence for almost a breem? What happened to 'I'm gonna slag the first 'Con I meet'?"

Katrina bit her lip. _That doesn't sound good._

"Apparently he and a human were headed to a place called Hoover Dam so they could contact us because Prime and the others need help," the red mech said in a rush.

"It's a trap," said the small green one.

"Definitely," agreed the other small mech, who was red like Sideswipe, though his color was darker.

"Slag him, Arcee," they said together.

_Things can't get any worse than this unless the pink one shoots_, Katrina thought grimly, stepping out of her hiding place. "Don't!"

Barricade groaned inwardly as Mudflap and Skids headed toward the human like moths drawn to a candle, their optics bright with curiosity.

"That's a human?" The green mech appeared disappointed. "It's smaller than I thought. Can I hold it?"

Sideswipe swept out one arm, stopping the twins' advance. "No," he said in a firm voice. "You could harm her."

"It's a _femme?_"

"_She_ is a human _girl_," Barricade replied.

"Don't. Speak." Arcee's weapon made a clicking noise like that of a gun safety going off.

"It's not a trick," Katrina said desperately. "Megatron really is back. The Decepticons and the Autobots are going to fight in less than two days. You don't have time to waste bickering."

"You're right," Arcee said. "Let's end this."

"You shoot me, you won't find the Autobots' base in time," Barricade pointed out. "The human doesn't have the coordinates you need."

"And I suppose you do? What's in this for you, 'Con?"

"That's none of your business. Release me, I'll give you the coordinates, then leave."

"To alert Megatron that we've landed? Not a chance. We weren't sparked yesterday. You'll show us the way."

Barricade heard the unspoken alternative, and yielded. "Fine."

"Alt modes," Sideswipe told the twins. "We're moving out."

"Finally!"

Katrina watched, eyes wide, as the two small mechs merged to form an ice-cream truck, then turned her attention to the other three. Sideswipe was a Corvette again, Arcee was still pointing a crossbow at Barricade, who hadn't shifted. They had been arguing while the girl's attention had been captured by the twins.

"-oming with me," Barricade stated.

"No, Sideswipe or I will take the human."

"Could we?" came two voices from the ice-cream truck.

"No!" three voices shouted back.

"Do I get a say in this?" demanded Katrina, wavering between confusion and annoyance. _First Barricade wants to dump me with them and take off, now he doesn't want me to ride with an Autobot?_

The pink Autobot shook her head. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is, traveling with a Decepticon? Especially _him?_"

Katrina shrugged. "He's taken better care of me than my parents ever did." _I shouldn't have said that,_ she thought, dismayed._ That's going to raise more unwanted questions._

Frenzy chose that moment to scurry out of hiding, not to Barricade's side, but to Katrina's, where he clung to the girl's arm. "Frenzy-stay-with-Katrina."

"I'm not carrying a Decepticon," Sideswipe said.

Katrina grinned. Arcee didn't look pleased at the prospect either. Thanking her lucky star for Frenzy's good timing, the girl said innocently, "He's very well-behaved, most of the time, anyway."

"All right! She can ride with you, Barricade, but don't try anything."

"Of course not," muttered the Decepticon.

Once Barricade was in his police car form, Katrina got in, closing the door with a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Frenzy," she whispered to the little mech before he released her arm and scrambled into the front seat.

"No-need-thanks-just-following-orders."

A smile spread across Katrina's face. "Thanks, Barricade."

"I'm curious, why would you rather ride with me instead of one of the Autobots?"

"They don't seem very interested in bringing a human along, and I didn't want to be left behind 'accidentally'."

"You forgot to mention-"

"I'm not going to tell them. Optimus can. I'm tired of explaining things over and over, and I'm sick of people trying to protect me because I'd be dangerous in the wrong hands."

The human's voice held a hint of bitterness that Barricade hadn't heard before. "Who told you that?"

"No one, I worked it out on my own. It's why the Witwickys want me to stay with them and Simmons wanted me to return to the government and you lied to Megatron and had Frenzy rescue me from those dogs."

"I did that because I promised you protection in return for bringing Frenzy back."

Katrina snorted. "Yeah, right. You were willing to leave me with these guys."

"It would be safer. Megatron will be hunting for me as soon as the battle is over."

"If he survives the fight, there won't be any Autobots left to keep me safe. If he doesn't, you have nothing to worry about. Besides, if I go back with the Autobots, Sam and Mikaela will try to talk me into staying with the Witwickys."

"You don't want to?"

"They're a nice family, but...no. I don't." _Too many memories in that house. Seeing Morse the first time, losing him, bringing him back. _Katrina glared down at her hands. _If I have so much power, why couldn't I save Morse? It's not fair._

"You should rest," Barricade said as he turned onto the highway.

Katrina nodded in agreement. It seemed every time she started to get some rest something came along to wake her up again. She was also hungry, but the shopping bags had vanished and there was no food left in her duffel. Trying not to think about the lost chocolate, she closed her eyes and a moment later was fast asleep, breathing gently.

_"Hey, 'Con, how far do we have to go?"_ Sideswipe asked.

_"Thanks to the detour we took because of you, we have about six hours of driving if we go the speed limit."_

_"What if we don't?"_ Skids, this time.

_"Then you will be forced to pull over by the cops patrolling the highway."_

Arcee joined the conversation. _"Use your brains, 'Con, you're disguised a police car. Alert the other cops that you're escorting us somewhere and need to get there fast."_

Frenzy slammed his head against the dashboard. _"Why-didn't-you-think-of-that-Barricade?"_ he sent on their private frequency.

_"Because my circuits are scrambled from you bashing your head against them so many times."_ Barricade switched on his CB radio and began broadcasting to nearby police cars.

**"This is state cop Barry Cade, enroute to Tranquility, California, escorting red Corvette, ice-cream truck, and three motorcycles."**

One man actually replied. **"Officer Cade, please observe speed limits or I will be forced to report you to higher officials."**

A quick internet search yielded no plausible scenarios for speeding escorts, so Barricade made one up.

**"Situation code red, National Security matter. I have authorization from the Secretary of Defense."**

**"I'll need to see that authorization."**

To the Pit with them. He wasn't going to spend half an hour arguing with a human. **"I'm afraid I forgot the paper. We will observe speed limits."**

_"Well done, 'Con,"_ Arcee sent, her voice sarcastic. "_We still have to go the speed limit, and now we're going to have suspicious policemen sniffing around."_

_"No, we won't. All we need is a diversion."_

_"Let us do it! Oh, please, Arcee, we can handle it!"_

_"All right, you two, but don't hurt anyone."_

Barricade winced at the loud whoops the twins sent over the comm.

A bad headache and strange laughter echoing in her mind woke Katrina up in time to see the ice-cream truck move into a different lane. "Where are they going?"

_Why can't her amazing ability to hear comm conversations work when it should?_ "The twins are attempting to create a diversion."

"Why?"

"Human, stop asking questions and go to sleep."

"You sound like-" Katrina stopped and frowned. _Perhaps I better not say it._

"Like what?"

"That sounded like something a parent would say," Katrina said softly.

Barricade was stunned into silence.


	33. Chapter 33

**Yay! Update I didn't even expect!  
****Wrote the entirety of this chapter tonight,  
after finally breaking a week long writer's block.**

**Feels strange to write this, but Keeping Secrets is almost done.  
A few more chapters, and it'll be over.  
After nearly a year of working on this fic, I'm really going to miss it.**

**However, there's a lot of stuff I haven't covered yet.  
Barely touched Barricade's history with the Autobots,  
and I haven't fully explained Katrina's past.**

**I guess what I'm trying to say is, is anyone interested in a sequel?  
A plotbunny for one showed up a few weeks ago,  
and I've been toying with the idea since then.  
It would take place after the events in the second movie.  
My muse managed to twist things around in the planning for the end of this fic  
to make everything work out correctly... Though there might be a few timeline errors.  
Nobody's perfect.**

**Enjoy!**

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"The sunset's beautiful tonight."

_"Indeed it is."_

_"Those magnificent colors are caused by pollution in the-"_

_"Shut up, Prowler. We want ta _enjoy_ the sunset, not analyze it."_

_"Jazz, I believe I have spoken to you about that nickname before."_

_"Ya did?"_

_"He has, Jazz, and I have as well. Please refrain from using it."_

_"Sorry, Optimus... What was that?"_

_"A message from Lennox."_

_"He's on his way?"_

_"No, Ironhide. He's been held up."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Three

Katrina felt like she was suffocating in the heavy silence that had fallen, but she didn't dare say anything, not until the Decepticon did. _I never should have compared him with a parent. What was I thinking?_

Barricade laughed. "Don't be getting any ideas, human. If you are recharging I won't be bothered every five seconds with stupid questions."

"Stupid?" Katrina rolled her eyes. "I only wanted to know-"

"Go. To. Sleep. Or I'll have Frenzy tranquilize you."

_"I-don't-carry-tranquilizer-Barricade."_

_"She doesn't need to know that."_

"All right," grumbled Katrina, closing her eyes. "Wake me when we get there."

***

Sam poked at the green beans on his plate, a deep frown on his face.

"Sam, eat your dinner," Mrs. Witwicky admonished with a glance at Mikaela. "You too, Mikaela. Growing teens need plenty of vegetables."

"I'm not hungry," muttered Sam, stabbing his steak.

"You'll eat what your mother put on the table," Mr. Witwicky ordered, the knuckles of his right hand going white as the fingers clenched around his coffee mug. "Mikaela, I'll give you a ride home after dinner."

"I was-"

"No, Sam," his mother interrupted, "you're not going out again tonight. I don't want you anywhere near those aliens right now. Even your car."

"But-"

"Don't argue, son, or I'll ground you," Ron said firmly. "Now eat your dinner."

Sam stuck a green bean in his mouth and chewed automatically as he went back to poking the remaining pile.

***

Sam was awakened by a light tapping on the window. A glance at the glowing numbers of his digital alarm clock confirmed at it was eleven. He jumped out of bed and threw on his sneakers, then raced over to the window and climbed out. Bumblebee was waiting to catch him. After setting Sam on the ground, the yellow mech shifted into his altmode and the teen got in.

"Next stop, Mikaela's place," Sam said, buckling his seatbelt.

"You have to come because they know where you live, but she's safer at home," protested Bumblebee.

"'Bee, she's probably waiting for us right now and if we don't show up we're going to be in deeper trouble than..." After a few minutes' thought, Sam gave up trying to find a parallel. He couldn't think of one bad enough. "Please, Bumblebee, my life is practically at stake here."

Static - Bumblebee's version of a human sigh - filled the car's interior. "You're explaining to Optimus, then."

"No, Mikaela can have that pleasure, thank you very much. Is Simmons going to be there?"

"Yes, but he's not very happy about it."

"I thought he wanted to help?"

"Not by fighting with _us_. Optimus is holding the human's tracking device to prevent him from doing anything stupid."

"Like taking on the Decepticons alone?"

"Or worse."

Sam tried to come up with a worse situation and failed. "What's worse?"

"He could take on the Decepticons and they might obtain the device."

"Didn't think of that," mused Sam. "Now _that_ would be bad. Say, can Optimus use the tracking device to-"

"No, Simmons installed biometric access."

"You could crack that easily."

"Optimus has forbidden it."

"What? Why? It would help a lot."

"We know when and where we are meeting the 'Cons. We don't need stolen technology to let us know if a trap's been set."

Sam's eyes narrowed. Bumblebee's reply seemed a little too rehearsed. "Did something happen to that device that Simmons shouldn't know?"

"Of course not."

"Come on, you can tell me. I won't even tell Mikaela."

"My scanners can see you crossing your fingers behind your back, Sam."

"You broke it, didn't you!"

"I did not!"

"Then Optimus did, or one of the others. They do it on purpose?"

More static. "Simmons tried to prevent them from taking the device. Jazz used his magnetic field and gave the device to Optimus, who dropped it. I think it was by accident."

"He dropped it and Simmons didn't notice?"

"Ironhide distracted him just in time and Optimus made a hologram to keep Simmons from suspecting anything, then told us not to say a word about it to anyone."

"I'm not sure that was an accident." Sam glanced out the window and his eyes widened; they'd reached Mikaela's house faster than usual. "'Bee, I hope you didn't break any speed limits... Oh, look, there's Mikaela! What did I tell you? I was right!"

"Yes, you were." Bumblebee stopped and a moment later opened the front passenger door.

Mikaela slipped inside and buckled her seatbelt. "Hey, Sam, I was beginning to think you chickened out. You realize how late it is?"

"It's only eleven, the battle isn't supposed to start until midnight."

Ignoring him, Mikaela turned her attention to the radio. "Bumblebee, has the army shown up yet?"

"You mean Lennox's team? No. They called Optimus a few hours ago and said they ran into an unexpected problem."

"What problem?"

"The pilot of the jet they were scheduled to take is sick. They were going to transfer everything to a different jet but some government official named Galloway showed up and demanded to see authorization for the flight and weapons. Lennox said they'd get here as fast as they could but it might take longer than he hoped, unless they hijacked the jet, and no one on his squad can fly it."

"What did Optimus have to say about that?" Sam asked.

"He told them to obey orders and do their best."

***

The only sign of Captain Lennox's frustration was the slight crumpling of the paper he held in his hand. "John Keller, _the Secretary of Defense_, signed this. Look, his signature's right there."

"How do I know you didn't just forge it to take a joyride with your friends in a military jet? You're not going anywhere until I've heard from the Secretary."

Lennox's teeth ground together. _Is this guy for real?_ "Mr. Galloway, it's eleven o' clock in the freaking night!"

"I'm calling Secretary Keller," replied Galloway, calmly dialing a number on his cellphone.

Sergeant Epps caught his captain's eye and looked from his gun to Galloway and back.

_However tempting that might be..._ Lennox gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. _Too bad none of us thought to bring a taser._

Epps rolled his eyes and joined the other soldiers in pacing back and forth by the jet's loading ramp while they waited. Lennox stayed where he was, standing to attention, one hand still holding out the ignored paper.

"Good evening, I would like to speak to Secretary Keller. Yes, I know it's late, this is an urgent matter. Thank you... Good evening, Secretary Keller? This is Galloway, Director of the N.S.A. Did you authorize Captain Lennox- Oh. _Oh_. I see. Very well. Yes, he's right here." Galloway held out the phone, a look very much like that of a beaten dog on his face. "He wants to speak to you."

Trying not to grin, Lennox accepted the phone. "Hello?"

"What are you waiting for, Lennox? Get going!"

This time the grin won out. "Yes, sir. On our way right now." Lennox snapped the cellphone shut and tossed it in Galloway's direction, only about ninety degrees off. The captain dashed toward the jet and his squad. "Load it up, we're moving out ASAP!"

***

Sam watched the numbers on Bumblebee's dashboard clock slowly change. Optimus had ordered Bumblebee to guard the two humans during the battle, which meant they were hiding a mile or so away from the actual meeting place.

11:56.

11:57.

11:58.

"Two minutes," whispered Mikaela, glaring at the locked door. "Come on, 'Bee, Sam and I want to help."

Bumblebee didn't reply. Both humans had been arguing with him for the past half hour, but he was not going to give in, no matter how much they - and he - wanted to help the other Autobots. Besides, he had a second job as well, that of keeping an eye out for Decepticons sneaking around, just in case Megatron _had_ set a trap. So far his sensitive scout instruments had picked up nothing but the small group of mechs one mile to the east.

Wait, no, there was a much larger group approaching, not far from his current position. A bit too close for comfort, in fact, but Bumblebee stayed where he was, not wanting to alert the Decepticons to his presence.

11:59.

"Lennox didn't make it," Sam murmured to himself.

"I hope Katrina's far away from here," Mikaela whispered.

Sam nodded.

12:00.

Bumblebee could hear the church bell ringing far away, but the sound was soon lost in the thundering noise coming from the battle scene. Crashes, shots, rumbles, roars and warcries filled the air until even the two humans could hear it, despite the distance. Sam and Mikaela reached for each other's closest hand at the same time, seeking comfort as they waited for the fight to end.


	34. Chapter 34

**Still trying to update weekly, though lately  
the chapters have been written the day I want to post them.  
I'll try to write one more before Christmas,  
since I'm going away for the holidays and  
might not have internet access until I get back.**

**Other than the fight between Barricade and Prowl,  
I don't think I've ever really written a battle scene.  
Not between giant robots, at least, and while I'm  
pretty knowledgeable when it comes to human weapons,  
it took some research to make sure the named  
'Cons and 'Bots are all using the right weapons.**

**Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

"Sir, we're loaded, ready for take off."

_"Then why aren't you taking off? Get going right now! Top speed!"_

_"Right away, sir."_

_"Epps!"_

_"Yes, sir?"_

_"Did they load the guns with sabot rounds?"_

_"Yes, but we're going to need people on the ground to mark targets if there's friendlies mixed with hostiles."_

_"Damn it, I forgot. Pick two men, we're going to parachute down."_

_"Sir! Satellite images show three jets flying in formation over the given coordinates."_

_"This just keeps getting better and better."_

_"Orders, sir?"_

_"Lock targets on all three, but don't fire until we're sure which faction they're with."_

_"Understood, sir... Sir?"_

_"What now?"_

_"How do we know which ones are hostile?"_

_"Epps? Do you remember?"_

_"Red eyes, sir! Blue indicates friendly!"_

_"Thanks. Did you get that, soldier?"_

_"Crystal clear, sir. Red eyes indicate targets."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Four

Decepticons and Autobots stood still for a brief moment, watching their leaders advance. Both groups were tense, red and blue optics following every single twitch of their enemies.

Optimus stopped, arms hanging loose at his sides. "Megatron, I give you one last chance to surrender."

"Never!" roared Megatron, leaping forward, claws slashing the air as he ran toward his adversary.

Taking up a defensive pose, Optimus drew his sword and cannon, both weapons glowing bright orange. "_Autobots, wait for my signal,_" he sent.

"_Reprimand me later."_ Ironhide let off two shots, the first striking Starscream's tail, the second hitting Skywarp's left wing, sending the purple and silver Seekers spiraling to the ground. Thundercracker let out a sharp sonic blast directed at the Autobot weapons specialist, who was showered with dirt as he dodged and fired at the blue jet.

Explosions erupted everywhere as the battle began in earnest. Megatron and Optimus focused on each other, ignoring those who got in the way, which led to them being given a wide berth - no one wanted to be at the business end of Prime's sword or Megatron's mace.

Ironhide clipped Thundercracker's right wing with his fourth shot, grounding the last of the Seekers. His sensors warned him of cannon fire behind; he jumped to one side and fired a double shot at the perpetrator, a red Decepticon who dropped with smoking armor and a large hole in his chest.

Jazz was holding his own against a larger silver mech, using his blaster's shield to block cuts from the Decepticon's weapon, a saw blade similar to Ratchet's buzzsaw.

"Nice pizza slicer ya've got there, Sideways," Jazz chuckled, earning a snarl from his opponent, who had no idea what pizza was but took offense anyway, since Jazz followed his first comment with a steady stream of insults and jibes.

Prowl and Ratchet fought as a team, the former taking down mechs with acid pellets while the latter used his medic skills to put the downed mechs into stasis lock.

Simmons stayed at the fringes of the fight, shooting Decepticons with the grenade launcher he'd brought from home while keeping out of sight as best he could. He saved Ironhide from needing a new leg and stopped another Decepticon before it could jump Jazz from behind, then had to dive for cover when Starscream shot a missile at him.

Despite their courage, it was obvious that the Autobots and the ex-agent wouldn't last long without back up of some sort. Determination only went so far when the odds were five to one against.

***

Bumblebee's altmode started shivering not long after the battle began, and both teens easily guessed what was wrong.

"Maybe you should go help," Sam said. "Mikaela and I can hide somewhere and you could pick us up later."

"I am your guardian, Sam, I can't leave you alone."

"He won't be alone, he'll be with me," replied Mikaela. "We'll be fine."

Static crackled from the radio speakers. "Have to watch for ambushes. Prowl ordered it."

"Prowl does too much ordering," grumbled Sam. Their formal introduction had not gone well. Katrina had explained some things to the newcomer but for some reason had glossed over how the AllSpark got destroyed. When informed that the small being designated Samuel James Witwicky had managed to kill their worst enemy and doom Cybertron forever with a single move, Prowl's logic circuits almost overloaded. Learning that Sam was still a youngling had been too much.

A smirk flashed across the teen's face at the memory of seeing a mech collapse for no visible reason. Optimus had explained the strategist's logic glitch, then been confused and a bit annoyed when Sam started to laugh. The teen hadn't mentioned that he'd gotten a mental image of Prowl making the V-sign Spock had used in the old Star Trek movies.

After Ratchet brought him out of stasis lock, Prowl had insisted that the two teens be sent home, which led to a intense discussion over comm-links following Sam's and Mikaela's protests. Bumblebee had refused to tell Sam exactly what was said during the argument, but judging by the glare Prowl gave his leader, Optimus had put his foot down. Sam had been delighted to hear that he could stay, until Prowl explained the compromise he and Optimus had worked out. The teens would not be sent home but they had to stay with Bumblebee, away from the battle. That wasn't the worst part - Simmons was out there, helping, while the two teens were stuck on the sidelines and preventing their friend from fighting.

"Maybe we should have gone home," Sam muttered, wishing he had something to kick out of sheer frustration - a tin can or a nice rock would do the trick.

"Don't feel bad for me," said Bumblebee. "A guardian protects his charge; I would have stayed at your house if you'd returned."

Mikaela caught the hint of wistfulness in the mech's voice and patted the dashboard. "Come on, Bumblebee, let us out and you go help. We promise to stay out of sight and behave."

"The last time either of you promised to 'behave' I had to explain to Sam's mother why her son was home three hours late and soaking wet."

"How was I supposed to know there was riptide warning out that day?" the teen complained. "Besides, you were there the whole time, I was never-"

"Being towed five miles out to sea before I could reach you does not fall under the 'never in danger' category," growled Bumblebee.

"What?" Mikaela's head whipped around and she stared at her boyfriend, eyes narrowing. "When did that-oh my god!" Her eyes widened a nanosecond before she and Sam were thrown from their seats to a rough landing on dirt.

Gears clanked and Sam winced as the familiar noises of a transformation met his ears. "Sorry, 'Bee!" he shouted, grabbing Mikaela's hand and running in a zigzag pattern away from the yellow mech. As he went the teen cursed himself silently for distracting his friend. He could only hope that Bumblebee didn't pay for the mistake with his life.

When the ground didn't start exploding around him, it finally clicked that no weapons had been fired in the near vicinity during the past minute and Sam skidded to a stop, looking over his shoulder at the same time. Mikaela grabbed him before he could fall after tripping over a convenient rock, then they were both knocked down when Katrina ran into them - she'd chased after the teens and hadn't had enough warning to stop.

"Where'd you come from?" Sam gasped, rubbing his eyes before squinting Katrina suspiciously. _This is becoming ridiculous. Last I saw her, she was being taken away by Barricade. Did she get away again?_ "Are you real?"

The girl reached out and pinched his arm.

"Hey!" Jerking back, Sam rubbed the sore spot and frowned. "How'd you get here..." His eyes finally focused on the scene taking place a few hundred feet away. "Oh god, is that _Barricade?_" The teen scrambled to his feet and looked for Mikaela. She was standing nearby, fists clenched, a murderous glare directed at the CD player Katrina was casually holding in one hand.

Noticing the older girl's look, Katrina shifted Frenzy to a more secure position, a worried look in her face. "Please, you've got to talk them into not off-lining Barricade."

The teens stared at her for a moment, then turned their attention to the others. Four unfamiliar mechs and Bumblebee stood in a circle around Barricade, who wasn't trying to escape or fight, most likely because of the many cannons focused on him.

"You have got to be joking," Sam said. "Those guys look like they mean business. I know Bumblebee does. He's a _Decepticon_ for-"

"I don't want anyone else to die," Katrina hissed, some emotion Sam couldn't name flashing in the girl's eyes.

Mikaela figured it out immediately. "Oh, no, Katrina, I'm so sorry. Poor Morse."

The younger girl's jaw tightened and the knuckles of the hand holding Frenzy's altmode turned white. "Please?"

Sam and Mikaela glanced at each other.

A huge explosion shook the ground, knocking the humans off their feet. Frenzy pulled away from Katrina's grasp and transformed, shurikens held at ready.

The humming of nearby cannons grew louder and closer. Bumblebee had seen the potential threat to his charge and was moving to eliminate it, battlemask snapping into place.

"Bumblebee, wait!" Sam yelled, trying to get to his feet as the ground shook again.

The yellow mech didn't seem to be willing to listen to reason at the moment, so Mikaela did the only thing she could. Just as Bumblebee fired at the small Decepticon, the girl pounced on Frenzy from behind.


	35. Chapter 35

**Clumsy me managed to gash my foot. Writing has been difficult.  
I can only write so long lying on my back. So this chapter is short.  
I'll try to make the next one longer.  
Words aren't flowing as fast as I'd like them to...  
Maybe they will now that I have a laptop of my own to write on.  
(early Christmas present from my parents, I named him Barricade!)  
My sister says I'm obsessed...**

**Thank you for all the reviews and faves and alerts KS has gotten,  
it really makes me happy to know my writing is appreciated,  
especially after an onslaught of rejection letters.**

**Finally, I hope you like this chapter. I've decided to stop saying "Enjoy!" every time I post a chapter  
because that word is starting to annoy me, though I'm not sure why.**

_

* * *

_

"Ready the hatch."

_"Be careful down there, Captain."_

_"Watch out for yourselves, I don't like the fact that those jets disappeared."_

_"Maybe they already went down."_

_"Don't bet on it, these guys don't fight the way we do. For all we know, they could have cloaking devices."_

_"Understood, sir. We'll keep an eye out for them."_

_"Better make that two, and don't forget to only fire on marked targets, unless you can see their eyes for yourselves."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Ready?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Then let's go."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Five

Simmons was the first to notice the parachutes floating down, blocking patches of the stars. Throwing caution to the wind he dashed to the landing site of the closest, now able to hear the loud roar of a jet's engine over the noise of the battle. The military had made it.

"Simmons," Lennox said, unbuckling his parachute harness. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Didn't expect to see you, either, Captain. Heard you had a little trouble with the Government in obtaining a jet."

"I'm sure you did." Lennox smirked as he adjusted his gun. "He was very sorry after Keller spoke with him. Now, what have we got?"

"A lot of bad guys," Simmons replied. "How many men on your team?"

"Including myself, eight on the ground and two more in the jet, waiting for marked targets."

"If you count the jet as one, that makes ten, and five Autobots make fifteen total. The other guys had almost twice that amount to begin with."

"I'm sure Ironhide's been warming up his cannons," Lennox replied, shouldering his gun as his men melted out of the night to join them. "Let's move in."

***

Mikaela grimaced as the wind created by the cannon blast passing overhead ruffled her hair. The shot exploded harmlessly on the ground a second later, and Frenzy began to struggle, the sharp points of his body making holes in her jacket.

"Mikaela, are you all right?" asked Bumblebee, alarmed that the human had come so close to being hurt, maybe even killed, because of him.

"Sure," the teen moaned, sitting up and looking at the damage. "Frenzy, you owe me a new jacket," she grumbled, then accepted Sam's hand and let him pull her to her feet.

"Can-take-care-of-myself," the little mech retorted. "Was-defending-girl."

"What's he talking about?" Sam asked Katrina.

"I told you last time I saw you, didn't I? Barricade gave Frenzy orders to guard me with his life."

"He did?" Bumblebee inquired, battlemask sliding back. "Why?"

"We made a deal. I brought Frenzy back in return for protection."

"Protection from what?" asked Mikaela.

"Megatron told him to kill me and Morse." Katrina's eyes blazed, thinking of her lost friend. "Sam, you were supposed to keep him with you!"

Sam bowed his head, the bitter taste of guilt in his mouth. "I'm sorry, Katrina."

The girl blinked away tears and turned to Bumblebee. "Please don't hurt Barricade. I don't think he wants to fight anymore."

The yellow mech rejoined his fellow Autobots, signaling them to lower their weapons. "Let him go, we have to help Optimus and the others."

"Right after I separate this mech's head from his shoulders," Arcee growled, her trigger finger twitching.

Bumblebee swung a fist at Barricade, striking the other mech's helm and knocking him to the ground. "Stay there," he ordered the dazed mech, "and watch the humans. Touch them and you'll wish Ironhide was the one to off-line you. Sam, Mikaela, Katrina, stay here." Mask flipping down again, the yellow mech headed toward the battle.

"Someone's grown a bit since I've last saw him," muttered Sideswipe. "Gotten bossier, too. Come on, you three, Ironhide will have our afts if he finds us chatting when there's 'Cons to beat up."

Whooping, Mudflap and Skids dashed after Bumblebee, Sideswipe not far behind. Arcee shot Barricade one more glare, then followed.

"Is 'Bee crazy?" Sam gulped, staring at the Decepticon.

"A few hours, a few _minutes_ ago I would have called you crazy for suggesting that," Mikaela replied, "but at the moment I agree."

Katrina folded her arms and scowled at the two teens. "Barricade's safe. Safer than you are, anyway," she added, glowering at Sam before walking over to the Decepticon, Frenzy at her heels.

"Are you all right?"

Barricade made a noise like a human snort and sat up. "He couldn't hurt me if he tried."

"As I remember, Bumblebee gave you a good beating about a year ago," Sam called. Neither he nor Mikaela had taken a step closer to the Decepticon, not trusting Katrina's judgment.

The baleful glare Barricade gave Sam made it clear that he remembered the incident and did not like being reminded.

"Please don't argue," Katrina pleaded.

"Stay out of this, human," snapped Barricade. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

The girl stuck out her tongue. "You'd rather be off-lined right now?"

Mikaela and Sam shared a horrified look and started inching closer, sure that they'd have to grab Katrina and run before the Decepticon got mad enough to shoot. What was she thinking, provoking him like that?

"I can take care of myself. Frenzy, come here."

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes. By the time the fight ends I'll be long gone."

"Okay. Good-bye, then."

Frenzy waved from his perch on Barricade's shoulder. "Miss-you-Katrina."

"I'll miss you, too," the girl said, a sad smile on her face as she waved back.

"I doubt we'll meet again," Barricade said, standing. "It's been...interesting, human." With that he walked off into the darkness.

Katrina sat on the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees, trying not to cry.

Mikaela sat down next to the girl. "Are you all right?"

Taking a shaky breath, Katrina tried to nod but only managed a small shrug.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. It's stupid. I'm stupid." Katrina rested her chin on her knees.

"No, you're not. Want to talk about it?"

"He took care of me," whispered the girl, squeezing her eyes shut. "He wasn't very nice about it, but he kept his promise."

Mikaela wondered how many broken promises Katrina been subject to in her short life, and gave the girl a hug. "Most people keep their promises, Katrina; you just haven't had much experience with the good guys."

Katrina choked back a sob, hating herself even as the words sprang from her mouth. "I think I've had enough. When we were with Barricade, Morse was _alive_."

Mikaela flinched away as if stung and went to stand with Sam. If the younger girl wanted to sulk, that was her problem. The two teens began discussing in whispers what might be happening at the scene of the battle, ignoring any sounds coming from Katrina's direction.

***

Barricade may have been out of sight, but he was not quite out of earshot when the humans held their short conversation, and he halted, startled by the girl's words. A strange feeling took over his spark, surprising him by its intensity. Regret.

_"Katrina-does-not-want-us-to-leave._"

Apparently his sidekick was also feeling misgivings about leaving the girl. Shaking his head, the Decepticon walked on. _"Forget her. The_ _human will be fine."_

_"But-she-is-crying."_

_"That's not my concern. I don't want to be with a thousand miles of this place when the battle ends."_

_"We-could-take-her-with-us."_

Barricade plucked Frenzy off his shoulder and dropped the small mech on the ground, then transformed and opened the driver's door. _"Get in._"

Head hanging, Frenzy crawled into the front passenger's seat and switched to his altmode, refusing to answer any further transmissions.

Frustrated, Barricade demanded, "_Did you want me to leave you with the human?"_ The question was met by silence, and he revved his engine, the noise exactly like a deep growl, then he changed directions. This caught Frenzy's attention.

_"Where-you-going?"_

_"To fight."_

_"Katrina-will-be-sad-if-Autobots-die."_

_"Who said I was fighting with the Decepticons? Megatron wishes to kill me for disobeying orders."_

Frenzy transformed and started bouncing in the seat. _"Can-I-take-out-Starscream?"_

_"No. I think he was downed in the first few seconds, and you aren't fighting."_

_"What? Why-not?"_

_"You questioned my orders."_ Barricade stopped and opened a door. _"You like the human so much, protect her."_

_"I-want-to-fight-with-you."_

_"That wasn't a request."_ Barricade ejected Frenzy with the ease of many years' practice, then vanished in a cloud of dust before the smaller mech could protest, leaving an annoyed Frenzy clicking to himself for the second time in as many days.


	36. Chapter 36

**Had some really bad days this past week, which is why I didn't update sooner.  
Just can't write when I'm crying every five sentences....  
You have my sister to thank for this chapter, after she prodded me to write  
_Barricade Enroute..._ I was in a Transformers mood and wrote over a chapter in KS. ^.^  
Next update should be soon, maybe the end of this week.**

**And does anyone know where Frenzy's Decepticon symbol is? Research has turned up nothing.**

**Short chapter, next one should be longer and the end of the fight. (maybe?)**

_

* * *

_

"First target marked. Bring the rain!"

_"Gunners?"_

_"Ready, sir."_

_"Then fire!"_

_"That's one down."_

_"And a lot more to go."_

_"Oh, Lord, he's getting back up! Fire! Again! Again!"_

_"That was four sabot rounds. Four f***ing sabot rounds before that thing when down."_

_"They just don't die!"_

_"Steady... Next target marked. Fire!"_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Six

Something nudged Katrina's arm and she looked down in surprise at the silvery blue CD player sitting on the ground.

"Frenzy? What are you doing here?" she whispered, glancing at Sam and Mikaela with a frown. _Please don't let them notice him._

"Barricade-go-and-fight," said the little mech angrily, transforming and waving his arms around in indignation. "Sent-me-to-watch-you. I-want-to-fight!"

"If he's fighting the Autobots, why protect me?" Katrina asked bitterly. "Megatron still wants me dead."

"Barricade-not-fighting-Autobots."

The girl rubbed one ear, sure she'd misheard. "Barricade's on the Autobots' side?"

"Not-on-Decepticons'-side," Frenzy muttered.

Katrina shook her head, still not believing her ears. "But why?"

The mech shrugged. "I-don't-know-ask-him."

Katrina managed a small smile. "I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." She rubbed the back of a hand across her eyes and sniffled, wishing she had a tissue. "I'm glad you came back."

"Wanted-to-take-you-and-run," grumbled Frenzy. "Barricade-decided-to-fight."

Unsure how to respond, Katrina merely nodded, confusion warring with gratitude in her heart.

Mikaela chose that moment to glance over at the younger girl, and gasped.

Before the teen could protest, Katrina did, jumping to her feet. "Mikaela, I've told you, Frenzy won't hurt me." She winced when weight landed on her sore ankle, and shifted to a more comfortable position.

Frenzy hid behind the girl, spinning shurikens in his hands. "Not-you-others-maybe."

Katrina frowned at the little mech. "Frenzy, they're my friends. Don't hurt them." Folding her arms, the girl turned around, freezing the advancing teens in their tracks with a icy glare. "Leave him alone, he's on our side."

"He's a _Decepticon_, which part of 'deception' don't you understand?"

"Not-Decepticon." Frenzy pointed at his chest. "See? Symbol-gone."

Sam frowned and Mikaela shook her head. "That doesn't mean anything."

Throwing up her hands, Katrina started to walk away. "Come on, Frenzy, I'm not going to waste any more time arguing pointlessly."

"Katrina, you're going the wrong way," Sam said. "They're battling over there."

"I know," she said without turning around.

"Can't-go-to-fight-Barricade-have-my-head," Frenzy cried in panic.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

The ex-Decepticon grabbed her left arm and dug in his heels. "Not-going."

"I thought you wanted to fight?"

"Barricade-said-protect-you. Not-disobeying-orders-again."

Remembering the scene out in the desert, Katrina grimaced. _It was my fault he didn't do as Barricade said, and he still got punished more than I did._ "All right," she said, sitting down on a convenient rock. "I give in. Okay?"

"Surrender is such a better way to put it, but 'give in' will do."

Sam and Mikaela screamed, their voice soon joined with Katrina's as she looked up. A half-transformed jet with red eyes was hovering in the air over her, smoke trailing from its left wing.

"Humans," the Decepticon grumbled. "Always making so much _noise_."

"Skywarp." Frenzy crouched, ready to attack at the slightest movement from the other mech, not caring that the Seeker was several hundred times his size.

"I'll deal with you later, you puny little traitor," Skywarp said. "Oh, that rhymed!"

"Congratulations," Sam said with as much sarcasm as he could muster while being stared at by a huge Decepticon.

"Shouldn't you be getting your butt kicked over there?" Mikaela asked, pointing toward the distant fight.

"Starscream sent me to make sure there weren't any witnesses. Alive, that is. I didn't expect to find Frenzy here, though." Skywarp sounded confused. "What are you doing with these humans, Frenzy?"

"Barricade's-pets-are-not-to-be-harmed."

Mikaela had a hard time swallowing her complaints, but the little mech _was_ trying to protect her and Sam as well, without orders to do so. She managed to keep her mouth shut giving Sam a look that warned him against arguing.

Katrina clenched her hands into fists as the Decepticon continued to float in the air. He appeared to be thinking, but she wasn't about to stand around waiting for him to decide what to do.

"Are you going to kill us or not?" the girl demanded.

Frenzy almost groaned. No chance of talking their way out now, Katrina had supplied Skywarp with a clear solution.

"Well, if you're Barricade's, it's okay to slag you because he's a traitor, too." Skywarp hesitated. "How shall I do it? I could use missiles or pick you up and drop you a few thousand feet, or warp with you to the moon..."

Sam's face grew paler with each suggestion, but he latched onto something the Decepticon had said. "What's 'warp' mean?"

"You don't know? That's strange, I thought everyone knew." Skywarp suddenly vanished and reappeared behind them. "That's warping."

"Genius," Mikaela said with mock admiration.

"Teleporting," murmured Katrina as the Decepticon began warping back and forth between the two spots, showing off. _This is so not good. We run and he'll catch us instantly._

Skywarp was so focused on warping that he didn't notice Frenzy moving until it was too late. The little mech jumped, using Sam's shoulders as a springboard to land on Skywarp just as he shot back into existence for the umpteenth time. Before the Decepticon could react, Frenzy became a cell phone - having kept the information for that altmode since Hoover Dam - and fell into the larger mech's inner workings.

"The little glitch!" Skywarp began twitching, then shuddering as Frenzy began his assault. "Stop that, it hurts." The Seeker began to moan and shake even worse, then did a nose-dive, landing on the ground hard enough to knock the humans off their feet. "Make him st-" The Decepticon went limp, eyes fading to black.

"Frenzy?" Katrina called.

Frenzy crawled out, more jittery than usual. "Almost-got-crushed-more-times-than-I-can-count."

"Is he dead?" asked Sam, resisting the urge to prod the Decepticon with a toe.

"No. Forced-recharge," Frenzy said proudly.

"You put him to sleep?" Mikaela translated. "It sounded a lot more painful."

"Had-to-cut-some-wires. He-won't-fly-for-a-while."

Deciding that she didn't want any more questions answered, Mikaela's attention moved to Katrina. "Would you mind not saying stupid things like that when there's a Decepticon around?"

Katrina's face reddened. "I'm sorry. I wasn't really thinking."

"It's okay, just don't do it again." Mikaela sighed. "Obviously the fight will come to us if we don't go to it, so votes for or against joining?"

"Are you crazy?" Sam yelped, staring at his girlfriend as if she'd suggested Megatron was a good guy at heart. "'Bee said stay here."

"And you always do what Bumblebee tells you? I remember having to sneak bags of chips to you when he was on that health food binge."

Sam began ticking points off on his fingers. "We aren't trained to fight, we don't have weapons, Mom will have 'Bee's hide if anything happens to us and Barricade will have _our_ hides if Frenzy gets hurt."

"I-won't-get-hurt."

"Says the thing whose head I cut off."

Katrina flinched. "Mikaela? You cut off his head?"

"Well, he was attacking us and all I had was a... Nevermind," the teen said, shaking her head at the younger girl's pale face. "Well? Who's in?"

"I am." Katrina stepped forward.

"That-means-me-too."

"Can't let you go by yourself," Sam said, wrapping his arms around Mikaela before kissing her.

Katrina covered eyes. "I did not need to see that. Let's get out of here, Frenzy."

"Get-a-room," Frenzy called over his shoulder.

Sam growled. "You..."

Laughing, Katrina and the ex-Decepticon scampered away from the irate teens. A huge explosion brought their mirth to an abrupt halt a few minutes later. Flames began licking the air, rising from the fallen corpse of a large Decepticon.

"Oh my god," Sam said. "They got him."


	37. Chapter 37

****

Not as long as I hoped... But my life is headed for the Pit right now  
and I want to finish this fic before the going really gets tough.

**Thanks so much for reviewing! You really cheer me up on bad days. ^.^**

**The end is near.**

**DISCLAIMER: All song clips are copyright to their respective artists... I fail at remembering song names, much less singers. Sorry!**

**EDIT(Jan 12th, 2010): rewrote small section to make it clearer after comment by a reviewer Pyra Sanada (thanks for pointing out my vagueness!)**

* * *

"_Starscream, call the others!"_

"_I thought you wanted to wait until-"_

"_Now! I want those humans destroyed immediately."_

"_Yes, Lord Megatron. Second wave, advance! Main targets are humans and their aircraft... Lord Megatron, they are coming!"_

"_Well don-uhhhhhhh..."_

"_Lord Megatron's been injured!"_

"_We should fall back, retreat!"_

"_No, hold your ground, hold your ground!"_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Seven

Megatron and Optimus were struggling to push the other to the ground when the first sabot round whistled through the air. The Autobot leader was forced to make an undignified dive to the ground, feeling the heat of the sabot as it shot past his head and struck its mark. Megatron stared at the hole in his shoulder, completely surprised, then snarled and aimed his fusion cannon at the fighter jet. _"Shoot me, will you, Starscream?"_ he broadcast as loudly as possible, thinking it was his mutinous SIC who had fired.

Knocking down the Decepticon leader before he could shoot, Optimus radioed the humans, warning them of the danger. They acknowledged, then looped the jet around for another strike.

"_Lord Megatron, that was the humans, not myself, I'm fighting the Autobot femme,"_ Starscream sent hastily, dodging a stream of arrows from Arcee's crossbow.

Megatron shoved Optimus aside and stood. _"Where are those reinforcements you called?"_

"_Coming, they're coming."_

The humans radioed Optimus and he rolled to one side, risking a shot in the back rather than being hit by a sabot round. One, two, three shots struck in quick succession. Megatron collapsed face first on the ground, flames spreading across his armor. Panic began to spread among the Decepticons, but Starscream ordered them to hold their ground.

Bumblebee found himself encircled by Decepticons, who began teasing the yellow scout, firing shots that came close but didn't hit. He retaliated with both cannons on their highest power. One Decepticon fell; the circle tightened and Bumblebee was pushed to the ground from behind. At once two Decepticons pinned down his cannons and legs while a third stuck his face close to the Autobot's, a wicked gleam in his red eyes.

"Remember me?"

Shaking, Bumblebee managed a slight nod, unable to speak, his vocal processors aching. The AllSpark may have healed him, but the phantom pain returned whenever he thought of Tyger Pax or this mech, a nameless Decepticon who served Megatron as a torturer and took malicious pleasure in his work.

"Your vocal processors have been fixed, I see." The mech reached out and began to squeeze Bumblebee's neck. "Or, perhaps not."

Choking, the Autobot tried to pull away. He could feel parts grinding together, the light protection around his vocal processors giving in, putting pressure on the delicate machinery underneath.

Three blasts scorched the air, and the Decepticon's grip loosened. He and his companions fell, eyes dimming in death.

Bumblebee blinked at his rescuer, not believing his optics. Cannons humming, he pointed them at the mech, then, unable to speak, he played a song clip. "'Take a last look around while you're alive.'"

Barricade shook his head and shot the Decepticon sneaking up behind the scout. "Less music, more shooting, Autobot."

"'The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.'" With a quick nod, Bumblebee got to his feet and began shooting, blaring the song 'Indestructable'.

Still shaking his head, Barricade moved to help the next Autobot in trouble, not noticing Thundercracker aiming a missile at his back. A crash behind him did catch his attention and he turned to find the Seeker knocked out, Ironhide's smoking cannons aimed at the next Decepticon foolish enough to venture into his range.

"Move it," the black Autobot shouted at Barricade. "I've got your back, get Jazz out of that mess."

Surprised but not about to turn down the weapon specialist's offer, Barricade moved. Five shots dispelled Jazz's attackers, then the ex-Decepticon had to jump aside when the Autobot fired.

"Jazz!" Ironhide growled. "Aim for the enemy, they don't need help taking us down."

"_Decepticons, retreat!"_ Starscream yelled over his faction's open channel, transforming and taking to the air. Skywarp had managed to override the forced recharge and informed his brother that Katrina was nearby, virtually unprotected.

"_That cowardly Seeker ran off_," Arcee sent to the other Autobots. "_I think he's calling a retreat."_

"_They're falling back,"_ agreed Optimus._ "Form a circle around Megatron. We may be able to negotiate the release of Katrina."_

Bumblebee moved to stand next to his leader. _"No need. She's with Sam and Mikaela."_

"_Then the humans will dispose of his corpse."_

The Autobots, one by one, joined the group surrounding Megatron, weapons ready should the Decepticons attempt to get their dead leader back. It didn't seem that any where anxious to try. All the Decepticons were in retreat now. A few sent parting shots toward the Autobots before transforming and vanishing into the night, while the others simply ran, leaving behind their dead and wounded.

"_Decepticons, retreat!"_ Starscream repeated, then fired two shots at the human aircraft before diving toward the small group of young humans.

"Help!"

Jazz cursed, realizing what the Decepticon was doing. "He's goin' after Katrina."

"Wait, Jazz," Optimus said, knowing the smaller mech would never reach the humans in time. "Help's on its way."

"Is that _Barricade?_" Arcee asked, shocked.

***

Sam shoved Katrina to the ground as the jet swept past. Starscream transformed midair and landed on his feet. Reaching for the girl, he failed to notice the police car racing toward him. It struck head-on, knocking the larger mech over. Hampered by the wounds Arcee's arrows had given him, Starscream tried to get to his feet. Raising his head, he found himself staring down the barrel of Barricade's left cannon.

"You have five seconds to run before I shoot."

The Seeker was gone in four.

Jazz arrived on the scene a second later. "Katrina, are ya okay?"

"I guess so," she moaned. "I think my bruises have bruises."

"Sorry," Sam said, offering his hand to help her up. "Reflex action."

"Better than being grabbed by an evil jet," said Mikaela.

"Did you see Barricade?" Sam added, eyes widening. "He came out of nowhere and pow! No more Decepticon."

Mikaela nodded. "Thank you-" She turned in a full circle and frowned. "Where'd he go?"

Katrina sighed. "The Decepticons will be hunting him down for sure now. He and Frenzy have gone to hide."

"Without so much as a good-bye?" Sam scowled. "Just like a-I mean, that's _rude_."

"Somethin' wrong?" asked Jazz, noticing Katrina's sad expression.

"No." The girl rubbed her eyes.

Sam grinned. "Ready to sleep in a real bed tonight?"

Katrina looked down at her grass-stained clothes and skin streaked with dirt and dried blood. Her stomach rumbled, and the girl smiled. "I'd like a hot shower and something to eat first."

Jazz transformed and opened his driver's door. "Hop in, we'll head for the Witwickys' place. You two want a ride?"

"_I'll take them_," Bumblebee sent, rolling to a stop next to his fellow Autobot. "'If you're going my way, I'm going to drive it all night long.'"

"His vocal processors are damaged again," Ratchet said, joining the group. "Katrina, I need to scan you for internal injuries before you leave."

The girl cringed. "Will it hurt?"

"No. Just hold still." Ratchet scanned all three humans, then gave a short nod. "Nothing worse than a sprained ankle. Try not to walk on it for a few days. Sam, Mikaela, you pass, too. Get some rest."

"I saw Starscream shoot another jet," Sam started.

"The humans are fine," said Ratchet.

"Not so much their jet," Jazz added. "There's lots o' stuff ta clean up before mornin'."

"Is everyone else okay?" asked Katrina.

"No fatalities on our side," Jazz assured her. "Can't say the same for the 'Cons, though."

Optimus Prime walked over. "The Government is sending jets to aid with the clean-up, ETA 1800."

"Why so long?" Ratchet asked.

"Red tape," Prowl replied. "Government Official Galloway is bad news, as you humans say."

"Total agreement with you," Captain Lennox called, dashing across the ground, his men behind him. "Anyone seen Simmons?"

"No," said Optimus. "He may have returned home."

"Damn, I was going to have the men stay at his place until the military shows up." Lennox yawned. "Sam, right? Would your parents mind if-"

"You are welcome to stay at the Autobot headquarters," Optimus offered.

"We don't have enough guest rooms, but I suppose you guys wouldn't care about sleeping on the couch or floor," Sam said, already dialing home. "I just hope you understand that I'm going to be grounded for the rest of my life for this."


	38. Chapter 38

**Today is _Keeping Secrets_'s first birthday!  
Chapter One was uploaded exactly a year ago!  
I can't believe I've been working it for so long!**

**Things are starting to look up in RL.  
So much for my life going to the Pit...  
I guess I'm just a pessimist at heart.**

**Thank you for reviewing!  
It's hard to believe this is the second-to-last chapter.  
Last one will be up...in no more than a week.  
I hope. Primus willing.**

_

* * *

_

_"So we're stuck here until this evening?"_

_"Looks like it."_

_"I want a shower, a beer, a nap, and a barbecue, in that order."_

_"That's a tall order, Captain."_

_"We'll take care of the details, Captain Lennox, while you and your men rest."_

_"Thanks, Prime."_

_"Just one question..."_

_"Shoot."_

_"There's nothing to shoot at the moment."_

_"Figure of speech, Prowl. What's your question...Sideswipe, is it?"_

_"Yes, Captain. What's a barbecue?"_

_"Uh..."_

_"Sideswipe?"_

_"What, Jazz?"_

_"Ya need ta check out the 'net. Like, right now. It's got everythin' ya need ta know 'bout humans."_

_"And a lot that you don't."_

_"Hey, Ratchet, I think I'm beginning to like this place."_

_"Now _that's_ a worrying thought."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Eight

Sam's parents were not too pleased when their son showed up on their doorstep at one in the morning with his girlfriend and ten military men in tow, but they were too sleepy to argue with him.

"You're grounded," his father growled, locking the door, and that was the extent of the conversation.

Mrs. Witwicky raided the closet for pillows and blankets while Lennox pulled rank on his men to use the shower first. Mikaela and Sam said good night and Jazz took the girl home. Katrina was sent to her room after a tearful hug from Sam's mother.

"Thank goodness you're back, Katrina, we were getting worried."

Katrina tried to smile. "It's okay, I had lots of people protecting me."

"Well, don't think being in mortal danger is going to get you out of being grounded, too. Off to bed with you now."

"Good night, Katrina," Sam called after her.

"Night," she mumbled, waving vaguely in his direction before closing the bedroom door, shutting out the buzz of conversation from downstairs. The girl went to her window and sighed, the Autobots had already headed back to their base, with the exception of Bumblebee, who was parked in the driveway, recharging.

Katrina sat on the edge of the bed, making no effort to sleep, since every time she closed her eyes she saw Starscream swooping down, Barricade racing out of nowhere to knock the Decepticon aside. The girl clenched her hands, fingers digging into the quilt on the bed.

"I didn't get to say thank you," she whispered, tears dripping off her nose as she stared at the floor.

A car engine purred outside and Katrina rushed to the window. It was Jazz; the silver car pulled up beside Bumblebee, turned off his headlights, then shut down his engine.

Downstairs the noise finally died down to the stillness of sleep. Katrina leaned her elbows against the windowsill, chin resting on her hands, staring into the darkness. She felt like she was the only living creature in the world.

Unsure what she was doing, the girl wandered down the stairs to the first floor, creeping past the living room, where the military men were sleeping – and snoring. Loudly.

The front door didn't creak, and Katrina shut it carefully, then sat down on the bottom porch step, arms wrapped around her knees. It was a warm night, but goosebumps were creeping up her arms and the girl shivered. _Something's going to happen. But what?_

Rumbling caught her attention, and she looked upward. The moon shone down from a clear, star-spangled sky. Where was the noise coming from? A triangle patch of blackness crept across the stars and her heart skipped a beat. _What is that?_ She got to her feet and walked a few steps forward, the stone path cold against her bare feet. The blackness circled in the sky. Katrina watched, mesmerized by the sight. No human could fly that gracefully.

_"Strange human. Can you hear me?"_

A shiver ran down the girl's spine and she gritted her teeth against the terrible headache. It had to be a Decepticon flying overhead, but he wasn't attacking. What should she do?

_"Catch."_

Something round fell from the triangle, small but steadily growing larger as it approached the ground. Katrina's hands stretched up in automatic reflex; it never occurred to her that this might be a trap.

Chilled metal touched her skin a moment before soft plastic enveloped her hands. A small, muffled chirp came from beneath the material. Katrina gasped, her heart thudding with almost painful hope as she shoved the plastic – a small parachute – away.

"Morse!" Sobbing, the girl cradled her friend against her chest. "You're alive. You're _alive_."

_"Thank you,"_ Morse sent to the Seeker, already almost out of range.

Thundercracker didn't reply. He had no need of thanks; the look on the human's face had been enough. One more thing to do, then he'd report to Lord Starscream. It didn't take long to find his target.

_"Barricade, the human youngling misses you."_The Seeker didn't expect an answer, and received none. He watched the police car for a moment, then banked and headed for the Decepticon headquarters.

***

"But why would he give you back, just like that?" Katrina knelt on the stone path, untangling the strings that attached her friend to the parachute.

The spider shrugged.

"It doesn't matter." Katrina patted Morse on the head as she pulled away the last strand of twine. "I'm just glad you're alive." Her voice cracked on the last word. "I thought you were dead, Morse. I felt you die."

CAME CLOSE, the spider tapped. YOU SAVE WITH POWER.

Katrina smiled, scooping her friend up and standing. "I didn't think it worked."

An engine revved behind her and Katrina turned, frowning, then smiled at the sight of the police car. "Barricade!"

She was beside the car before she realized her mistake, and stepped back as a tall man with a large mustache jumped out. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were-"

"The man who owns cruiser number 643? You do know him, then."

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

The policeman's hand descended on her shoulder. "Oh, no, you're coming with me for questioning."

Before Katrina could cry out she was bundled into the backseat and the car took off down the street. Jazz stirred from recharge, scanned the surrounding area for intruders, and relaxed, sensing nothing amiss.

***

Thirty miles away, Simmons was awakened by an insistent beep. He slapped his alarm clock, but the beeping persisted. Yawning, the man clambered out of bed and trudged across the room to his computer desk. Leaning on the back of his desk chair, Simmons squinted at the computer screen, which kept blurring in front of his eyes.

"That crazy phone's back, and at police headquarters," he mumbled, scratching his head. "What's going on?"

***

"I swear, I don't know what you're talking about," Katrina insisted, clutching the cell phone in her hands. Morse had transformed just before the policeman noticed him, and she'd been allowed to keep it as long as she didn't try calling anyone.

"Don't be playing coy, we saw you going off somewhere with that other cruiser. Number 643. Then a call comes in that you've been kidnapped. I want to know what happened."

"Alien robots tried to make me bring their evil leader back to life," Katrina said, putting as much sarcasm in her words as she could manage.

The man laughed, a loud noise that was anything but humorous. "Listen, kid, you better tell me the truth or-"

"Last I checked, interrogating minors requires two police officers and a family member."

"Simmons?" gasped Katrina, straightening in the uncomfortable chair she'd been sitting on for the past fifteen minutes. "What are you doing here?"

"Found something strange on my scanner." He waved a black box in the air. "This place is hot. Wonder why that would be?" Simmons walked over to a file cabinet and reached for the bottom drawer.

"Hey, you can't go in there, that's confidential!"

"I'd say this is pretty confidential," Simmons agreed, pulling out a familiar object.

Katrina inhaled sharply. _Frenzy's head? What's it doing here?_

"This thing went missing from my living room a few days ago," Simmons continued, tucking the head under his arm. "I'm relieved to have it back. Come along, Katrina."

"You don't have any authority here."

Simmons flashed a badge in the man's face. "I'm with Sector Seven," he snapped, grabbing Katrina's arm and hauling the girl to her feet.

"Never heard of them," the policeman protested.

Pausing in the doorway, Simmons looked back. "Never will." He slammed the door behind him.

"Sector Seven was disbanded," hissed Katrina as Simmons dragged her down the street.

"He doesn't know that." The man held his prize out of reach when Katrina grabbed for it. "Hey, this is mine. You took the last one I had."

"Frenzy needs his head!"

"He's got one."

"You're holding it."

"No, it's right there." Simmons pointed behind Katrina, and she whirled around. Morse transformed and scrambled onto her shoulder, clicking loudly.

DANGER DANGER DANGER.

"No, Morse," Katrina said, a smile spreading across her face. "Frenzy!"

The little mech was hanging out of Barricade's front passenger window, waving. "Hurry-up-slow-human-we-need-to-go."

"Go where?" Katrina asked, taking a step forward.

Simmons halted her with a hand on her shoulder. "You sure that's a good idea?"

Katrina shot him a glare. "Barricade's a lot better than some people."

Simmons let his hand drop. "All right, suit yourself, kid. Take care."

"Autobot-coming-Katrina-hurry!" Frenzy's voice was high-pitched with fear and Katrina ran down the sidewalk, then stopped, one hand on the door Barricade had opened.

"It's okay, it's Jazz."

Jazz screeched to a stop beside Barricade. "Katrina, what d'ya think ya're doin'?"

"Do you want to come with us?"

"Ya're leavin'? Ya can't leave, that is, I don't... I can't... I can't leave, Katrina, ya know that! Ya can't, either, the Witwickys-"

"Will be fine without me." Katrina smiled sadly. "Please say good bye to everyone for me, and thank them for their kindness. You've all been kinder than I've deserved."

"But _why_?"

"The Decepticons aren't defeated, are they?" The girl shivered, one hand rising to her shoulder to cover Morse. "I almost lost Morse last time. I don't want them to take me again."

"The Autobots can protect ya."

Katrina shook her head. "I don't want to have anything more to do with the Autobots. Ever since I met you guys I've been in danger. I just want to have a normal life."

Jazz sighed. "Fine. I'll pass your message ta the others."

Katrina watched the silver car disappear down the road and blinked back tears. _That didn't come out the way I meant it to, but I can't do anything about it now. Sorry, Jazz._ "Ow!" The girl sat down hard on the back seat, clutching her head.

_"Ya better take good care o' her or I'll hand your aft ta Starscream on a plate, ya hear me?"_

_"Loud and clear, Autobot."_

_"If ya're a Neutral now, ya better not harm any Autobots, either."_

_"I swear to leave the Autobots alone if they do the same."_

The headache faded and Katrina sighed in relief. _Another good reason for not staying with the Witwickys,_ she thought, rubbing her temples, which still throbbed with a phantom pain.

"What did I miss?" asked Barricade. "I thought you couldn't wait to get back there."

"I thought you were going to find a good hiding place," Katrina retorted.

"Got a message from Thundercracker. Apparently the Seeker was telling the truth."

Katrina sat up, almost dislodging Morse. "Is he a jet?"

"Yes."

"I bet he's the one who brought Morse to me!"

YES, Morse confirmed her guess.

"I didn't get to thank him. Or you, Barricade. You've saved me lots of times, and you helped the Autobots..."

"Don't you humans say 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? I didn't help the Autobots, I fought the Decepticons."

Katrina grinned. "Whatever you say."

"I-fought-too," Frenzy said proudly.

NOT I, Morse clicked, sounding annoyed.

"Maybe-next-time."

"Won't be a next time," Barricade said, picking up speed as they left the town behind. "Time for you three to recharge, I'm not listening to your chatter the entire way."

"Where are we going?" asked Katrina, covering a yawn.

"You'll know when we get there."

_Meaning, you have no idea_. The girl shook her head and curled up on the seat, Morse clasped between her two hands. A moment later Frenzy scampered into the back and transformed, his altmode tucked against the girl's stomach. Katrina smiled and wrapped an arm around the CD player.

"Wake me when we get there," she mumbled, eyes drifting shut.


	39. Chapter 39

**Well, this is it.  
The last chapter.**

**For all your reviews, alerts and favorites, I THANK YOU.  
I've not had much luck in publishing my original fiction,  
so knowing that my writing _is_ enjoyed by people gives  
me the courage to keep trying.  
**

**As I mentioned a few chapters ago, there WILL be a sequel.  
When it will be start posting, I don't know. I really need ROTF  
for reference and that was the one thing I did _not_ get for Christmas.  
Please be patient with me. ^.^**

**'Til all are one.**

_

* * *

"Optimus, why did you suggest we take care of the barbeque? I don't even know where we're going to get enough supplies."_

_ "Ironhide, thank you for volunteering to get food from the grocery store."_

_ "Why me?"_

_ "You're the only one who has a credit card."_

_ "Remind me to thank Lennox later."_

_ "What d'ya want me ta do, Optimus?"_

_ "I want you and the others to recharge, Jazz. I'll find some grills and anything else we will need."_

_ "The Witwickys have one in their garage, they won't mind if we borrow that. I think they're out of charcoal, though."_

_ "How many grills are we goin' ta need?"_

_ "The Witwickys always borrow another when they have company."_

_ "We could borrow Katrina's cousin's grill. Without askin'."_

_ "However tempting that idea is...no. I'll rent one if need be."_

_ "I'm not sure you can rent grills, Optimus."_

_ "And I am _not_ recharging yet, most of you need repairs."_

_ "Ratchet, that's an order. None of us have life-threatening damage."_

_ "Unless you want a wrench dent in your thick helm, you better get started on your shopping and leave me to my work."_

* * *

Chapter Thirty Nine

The barbeque was going well. Humans and Autobots alike were spread across the flat area where they'd fought less than a day ago. Ironhide and Sideswipe chatted with several of the military men and Sam. Mikaela and Arcee sat together, heads bent over some sort of diagram. Meat sizzled on grills, watched carefully by the three cooks - Mudflap, Skids and Epps. The lieutenant was giving the twins their first lesson in the art of flipping burgers while Lennox watched and laughed from his perch on a nearby rock.

Turning away with a smile, Optimus noticed Jazz standing alone, unusual behavior for his First Lieutenant, especially after a victorious battle. Jazz should be in the thick of the celebrations, not staring down the road, looking like a sparkling who had lost his favorite toy.

Venting air, the Autobot leader walked over. "What is wrong, Jazz?"

Jazz gave a small shrug, optics not meeting his leader's. "Nothin', Optimus. I better make sure Ironhide doesn't off-line Mudflap and Skids, they're tellin' Lennox and Epps 'bout the time they painted Ironhide's armor and cannons pink with the character for femme in purple on his chest and he didn't notice for three days 'cause battle damage rendered him colorblind..."

Optimus chuckled inwardly, remembering that incident, then placed a hand on Jazz's shoulder. "Wait."

The silver mech halted. "What?"

"You wanted to go with Katrina," stated the Autobot leader, his suspicion confirmed by Jazz's silence. "Then go."

Jazz shook his head. "I can't. It's my duty as-"

"It's your duty to follow orders," Optimus said quietly. "But I don't want to order you to go. I'm giving you the choice."

"The Autobots need every mech they can get, there's still tons o' 'Cons ta hunt down."

Prowl, who'd been listening quietly on the sidelines, stepped in at a nod from Optimus. "Your assistance has always been greatly appreciated, Jazz, but the Autobots have and will function well enough without you. The probability of failure due to your absence is-"

Jazz cut him off with a sharp wave of a hand. "Ya aren't helpin', Prowler."

"Just because Bumblebee lives with the Witwickys does not mean he's cut off from us," Optimus said. "You may be further away, but that won't change anything. If we need help, we will send for you. Go."

"...I should at least say good-bye." Jazz headed for the party, a spring in his step. He paused and glanced back. "Thank ya for everythin', Optimus."

"Stay in contact."

"I will."

"Katrina wants nothing more to do with us," murmured Prowl. "Are you sure she'll accept him?"

"As you would say, the probability is high enough that the odds are firmly in his favor."

"Irritating as he can be, I shall miss him."

"We all will, but keeping him here would be wrong. Who knows? He may in time change Katrina's mind about distancing herself. Like it or not, her destiny has been entangled with our own."

***

"You're leaving?" Bumblebee gasped, wings drooping.

"Hey, cheer up, 'Bee. It's not like I'm gonna die the second I'm outta yer sight."

"Best friends are supposed to stick together!" The yellow mech protested, a hurt look on his face.

"'Bee, stop actin' like a younglin'," Jazz groaned. "It's not like I can stay with the Witwickys."

"Why not?" Sam joined conversation from his perch on a nearby rock. "You didn't have a problem with it before."

"I wasn't in the condition ta complain then, and Katrina's not livin' with ya."

The teen winced. "Ouch, sore subject, Jazz."

"Sorry."

"S'okay," Sam mumbled into his glass of Pepsi.

"When are you leaving?" asked Bumblebee.

"Soon as I say good-bye. Have ta catch up with Barricade, and ya know how well he follows speed limits."

The got a laugh from the yellow mech. Sam ended up spluttering soda everywhere.

"Excuse me," he said, wiping his face with his shirt sleeve. "Speaking of Barricade, what's to stop him from shooting you as soon as you're in range?"

"He swore ta leave Autobots alone."

"And that's stopped him before?"

"He doesn't like you at all," Bumblebee added.

Jazz shrugged. "That's his problem."

"See you around, Jazz," Sam said, standing up. "Tell Katrina hi for me, and tell her..." He paused. "Tell her I think I understand." The teen laughed. "Actually, scratch the second part, sounds too corny." He wandered off in the direction of the food.

"Tell her anyway," Bumblebee said, the sad droop of his wings belying his cheerful voice.

"First thing," Jazz promised, holding out his hand. "Friends?"

"Friends," Bumblebee said, and they high-fived. "You need me, let me know."

"The same goes for ya," replied Jazz with a grin.

The others took the news a little better than Bumblebee had.

"Don't forget your training," Ironhide muttered as he scrutinized his cannons for a speck of dirt. "You better have improved your shot when I see you again."

"You need repairs, comm me," Ratchet said. "That goes for Barricade, too, and if Katrina gets sick-"

"Contact you first," Jazz finished, nodding. "I will."

"Does that mean your position is open?" Sideswipe asked, then laughed and clapped the smaller mech on the back. "See you around, Jazz."

"Aw, Jazz, don't go!" Mudflap begged.

Skids added his own plea. "We got lotsa jokes planned, who'll help us?"

"Jazz is too smart to join you imbeciles," Arcee remarked, looking up from her conversation with Mikaela.

"Take care," Mikaela called, then tapped the pink femme's arm. Their attention returned to the schematic drawings laid out on a table borrowed from the food area. The human was explaining some of the finer details of a modified motorcycle she'd built a few months ago.

Lennox chuckled at the news. "Good luck, Jazz."

Epps grinned as well. "You're quitting this life to help raise a teen? You're crazy, man." As Jazz walked away Epps turned to his captain. "Twenty bucks says he shows up at NEST within a month."

Lennox shook his head. "I don't bet."

"I'll take that offer," said one of the soldiers sitting nearby.

_Yer gonna win it, too_, Jazz thought with an inward smirk.

Optimus was waiting at the edge of the road. "Take care, Jazz-"

"-let Katrina know ya say hi, let ya know if I need anythin'..." Jazz rolled his optics. "I get the message. See ya around, Optimus."

Optimus nodded. "Your position will always be open, should you wish to return."

"Got it." Without further ado, Jazz transformed, and a silver Pontiac Solstice went zipping down the road at almost twice the speed limit.

"Primus be with you," Optimus murmured, watching until Jazz was lost from sight.

***

"Katrina, wake up."

"What is it?" yawned the girl, opening one eye and not stirring from her curled up position. "Are we there yet?"

"No, we're being followed."

Katrina sat up and peered out the back window. "What do you mean, followed? Who is it-ah!" She clutched her head. "Barricade!"

"I'm not the one-" the rest of his words were lost as a different voice filled Katrina's mind.

_"Will ya slow down, ya slaggin' ex-Con?"_

Barricade's reply was cold. _"Watch your language around Katrina."_

_ "What d'ya mean?"_

A grin spread across Katrina's face despite her terrible headache. "Jazz? Barricade, is that Jazz?"

"Yes," Barricade said, looking around for a good place to pull over so he and the Autobot could talk without using their comms.

Clicking came from Morse. KNEW HE COME.

"Did-not-insect!"

"Don't fight," Katrina scolded, snatching Morse off the seat a split second before Frenzy reached him. "You two are acting like little kids."

"Are-not-and-he-started-it."

Morse made a hissing sound and the girl tapped his head in reprimand. "Behave, both of you... Barricade, where are you going?"

The police car had turned down a dirt road covered in potholes. "Some place we can talk," he replied.

_"Are ya even listenin' ta me, 'Cade?"_

_ "Don't call me that and stop comming. We can talk in a moment."_

Katrina rubbed her left temple and relaxed as the pain ebbed away. "Thanks, 'Cade."

"Don't _you_ start."

"Should I call you a slagging ex-Con instead?" the girl asked with an innocent smile.

Barricade stopped with a squeal of brakes, unceremoniously dumped all three passengers on the ground and transformed. Jazz shifted from altmode and found himself under the stern red gaze of the larger mech.

"Well done," Barricade said sarcastically. "Two minutes in our company and you've already taught the human a Cybertronian swearword."

"What are ya talkin' 'bout? I haven't even talked ta her."

Katrina gulped. She'd been careful not to speak of her strange gift while with the Autobots, but there was no way to avoid the subject now.

"She can hear our internal comms," Barricade answered for the girl.

Jazz was speechless for almost a minute. "Yer not serious."

"Completely. Surprised?"

The smaller mech shrugged. "A little, but it doesn't matter, she's still Katrina."

"What are you doing here, Jazz?" Katrina asked, taking advantage of the short pause to join the conversation.

"Coming with ya. I know ya don't want anythin' ta do with the Autobots, but ya did give me my life back and I wanna pay that debt."

"You don't owe me anything-"

"Oh, and 'Cade's not exactly guardianship material."

"You little..."

"Just 'cause ya're bigger doesn't mean ya can call me little!" Jazz warned, scowling at Barricade.

"I don't need _your_ help."

"Yeah, and Frenzy's a toaster oven."

"Leave-me-out-of-this!"

Katrina grabbed Frenzy's left arm and pulled him aside. "Let them talk it out," she muttered, heading down the road. "See how long it takes them to notice we're gone."

TEN MINUTE.

"I-say-thirty."

BET.

"You-are-on. Loser-has-to-call-winner-captain-for-two-weeks."

DEAL.

"Guys!" Katrina exclaimed, exasperated. "You're as bad as those two." She waved her hand toward the scene behind them.

Barricade and Jazz were still glaring at each other, their conversation growing louder with every sentence.

"How d'ya plan on takin' care o' her, then."

"I'll figure something out."

"Ya're gonna have ta get a job, ya know. And a house. Katrina has ta go ta school. And she'll need food and clothes and-"

"Tell you what; you can come along if you deal with the specifics."

"Uh uh, I'm her guardian, not her father."

"I'm not her father, either!"

"Well, yer gonna need a good story for the school officials. How 'bout we're her uncles?"

"Good idea."

"Ya can be the responsible one who makes sure the bills are paid on time-"

"And you'll be the responsible younger brother who drops in every few months with a good-sized paycheck for the paying of said bills. Sounds good to me."

"Ya're the one disguised as a police car, so ya should be the one workin'."

"I'll get a job, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You get all the ID she's going to need and take care of all the shopping."

"No problem."

"_And_..."

"And what?"

"You breathe a word about my history to Katrina and I'll make you wish you'd stayed dead."

"That's goin' ta be hard... But all right, we've got ourselves a deal." Jazz held out one hand.

Barricade just looked at the other mech, confused.

"Human custom," Jazz said, rolling his optics. "They shake hands to seal a deal."

"Very well."

After they shook hands, Jazz added, "Katrina rides with me."

"Frenzy's not going to like that."

"Where _is_ that little guy, anyway?" The silver mech looked around. "I haven't seen him."

"Neither have I."

"Say, 'Cade?"

"Don't call me that."

"Katrina's not here, either."

"WHAT?"

Jazz pointed at the double set of footprints. "Seems like she and Frenzy got tired o' waitin' for us ta end our discussion." He transformed, engine purring. "Race ya."

"Eat my dust."

Barricade and Jazz took off, leaving behind the smell of burning rubber and black scorch marks on the pavement.

About a mile down the road, Frenzy, Katrina and Morse crouched behind a handy boulder and watched the two cars zip past.

"You both lose," Katrina chuckled, looking at her watch. "Twenty minutes."

"Bet-they-don't-notice-they-lost-the-trail-for-another-twenty-minutes."

I TAKE BET. SAY TEN, Morse clicked.

Katrina groaned. _How long are they going to keep this up?_

Exactly seven and a half minutes later, Jazz and Barricade stopped in unison, brakes squealing as they did U-turns and raced back the way they'd come.

The End


End file.
